Tiny Fly of high-humidity Niche | Ephydridae (shore flies)

Tiny black fly with white spots around 5 on its wings I saw on a Mossy brick.

maybe some Ephydridae species?

Family Ephydridae (shore flies)..?

Yes, Scatella or near that genus

Ephydridae Scatella

Some typical species live on silt with algae and similar growth alongs streams and water bodies like lakes and ponds. Many others also live on algae but necessarily along streams. Seepages, brooks, marsh and even in hydrocultures.

Besides Sciaridae, other mosquitoes very common in greenhouses are the Ephydridae, of which the genus Scatella is the most well-known. Adults are bigger and moustaches, legs and antenna are shorter and 5 white spots are visible on the wings. They also lay their eggs in moist substrates where the larvae develop by consuming organic debris, but compared to the locusts the larvae are brown and without a black head, they also live where there is free water and above all are resistant to nematodes, so don't use them with them. On the other hand, Scatella larvae do not feed on roots and therefore the damage is only caused by the proliferation of adults, which are a nuisance in the cultivation environments also because they stain the leaves with excrements and facilitate the spread of mushrooms. So keep it clean and use yellow traps, but not too many, to see what flies and decide what to do based on that.

Ephydridae: Bradysia sp. are a type of flies that exist in high-humidity habitats, when over watering, leading to the appearance of algae algae. They are strongly attracted to soil substrates, which hold moisture and reproduce quickly in them, feeding on fungal mitzel.

Scaffold spp. - The species does not have great economic significance, but it is a sure indicator of increased humidity. It feeds on algae and organic matter. They transfer different plant pathogens from one plant to another during their life cycle.

#diptera #fly #Ephydridae