Download biology of leiomyza laevigata

Proof to:
Dr. B. A. Foote
Dept. of Biol. Sci.
Kent State Univ.
Kent, OH 44242
BIOLOGY AND IMMATURE STAGES OF LEIOMYZA LAEVIGATA
(DIPTERA: ASTEIIDAE), A CONSUMER OF MUSHROOMS
BRITT BUNYARD1 and B. A. FOOTE
Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State University
Kent, Ohio 44242
ABSTRACT
Information is presented on the life cycle and larval feeding habits of Leiomyza
laevigata Meigen, a Holarctic species of the dipteran family Asteiidae. Adults were
reared from Lepiota rachodes (Vitt.) Quel. [Agaricaceae], a common gill-bearing fungus
in northeastern Ohio. The eggs, third-instar larva, and puparium are described and
illustrated. The morphology of the immature stages are compared to those of other
families of acalyptrate Diptera.
KEY WORDS: Asteiidae, Leiomyza, mushrooms, life history, feeding habits, immature
stages
The acalyptrate family Asteiidae occurs in all biogeographic zones and consists
of about 100 species and 11 genera worldwide (Sabrosky, 1987). At least 18 species in
5 genera are recorded from America north of Mexico (Poole and Lewis, 1996). It is a
member of the superfamily ?? and may be particularly close to the family ?? (McAlpine,
198?).
The biology of Asteiidae is very poorly known (Ferrar, 1987), and very few larvae
have been described. Species of Asteia have been reared from rotting plant stems in
Hawaii (Hardy and Delfinado, 1980). Seguy (1934) reported that A. amoena Meigen
bred within rot pockets of hollow trees in Europe. Perry and Stubbs (1978) recorded a
rearing of this species from sappy wood, and Cogan (1978) reported that A. concinna
Meigen was reared from rotting plant material that had accumulated at the bases of
stems of dune grasses. In contrast, Hafez et al. (1970) claimed that larvae of A.
amoena occurred in leaf mines in species of Cruciferae. The egg and puparium of
Asteia sabroskyi, an Hawaiian species, have been described by Hardy and Delfinado
(1980).
Adults of the genus Phlebosotera have been taken in fruitfly traps in North
America (Sabrosky, 1957). Adults of another North American species, Sigaloessa
frontalis Aldrich, have been taken from cotton and possibly breeds within cotton buds
infested by Anthonomus grandis Boheman (cotton boll weevil) (Sabrosky, 1957).
Adults of Astiosoma rufifrons Duda have been recorded as being attracted to
smouldering bonfires, cold wood ash, and fermenting wood chips in Britain (Chandler,
1978b). Species of this genus have been found also on windows of sawmills in North
America (Chandler, 1978b).
3
Adults of a few of the 4 Nearctic species of Leiomyza have been collected on
mushrooms (Sabrosky, 1957), and several British species have been reared from
larvae occurring in fungi, particularly species growing on wood (Buxton, 1960; Chandler,
1978a, 1978b). Papp (1972, 1992) reared adults of L. dudai Sabrosky from larvae
found in 35 species of Agaricales fungi in Hungary and described the egg, three larval
instars, and puparium.
The purposes of this paper are to elucidate the life history and larval feeding
habits of Leiomyza laevigata Meigen, to describe its immature stages; and to compare
the larval morphology with that of other families of acalyptrate Diptera.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Adult flies were reared in the late summer of 1988 from fruiting bodies of Lepiota
rachodes (Vitt.) Quel. collected in Towner's Woods, a county park located
approximately 2 miles northeast of Kent (Portage Co.) in northeastern Ohio. The
mushroom specimens had been held on a moist layer of peat moss in plastic rearing
containers.
Reared adults were placed in breeding jars containing pieces of the commercial
mushroom, Agaricus bisporus Singer, lying on moist peat moss. A small pellet of honey
and brewers yeast, appressed to the upper wall of the container, provided food for
emerging adults. All rearings were maintained at room temperature (ca. 25 0 C).
Larvae and puparia were killed in boiling water and then placed in 70% ethanol.
Some larvae were then critically point desiccated (Grodowitz, et al., 1982) and scanned
with a scanning electron microscope.
4
LIFE HISTORY
Although over 200 fruiting bodies of 44 species of gilled mushrooms were held in
breeding jars over a two-year period, adults (14) of L. laevigata were obtained only from
two sporophores of Lepiota rachodes (Lepiotaceae) collected on September 28, 1988
at Towners Woods. It may be significant that no other species of acalyptrate Diptera
were reared from this mushroom, although a few adults of an undetermined species of
Phoridae were obtained from the fruiting bodies. Larvae of Cecidomyiidae were
abundant in the pileus and stipe of both sporophores. Interestingly, no Leiomyza adults
were obtained from 4 fruiting bodies of Lepiota americana Peck collected on August 7,
1988.
Adult flies fed readily on the mixture of honey and brewer's yeast which was
affixed to the walls of the rearing chambers. Mating occurred 2-3 days after emergence
and was repeated frequently throughout the lifespan of the female. Males seemingly
protected their sperm investment by "riding" the female for several minutes after
copulation was completed. Eggs were usually placed on or near the gills of fresh,
unrotted commercial mushrooms.
_
The egg incubation period ranged from 5-7 days ( x = 5.6 + 0.7; n = 27). Newly
hatched larvae appeared to feed initially in the areas of the gills, but older larvae tended
to burrow through the more intact tissues of the sporophore, including the stem and
cap. Larvae frequently fed also on decaying tissues. The laboratory feeding activity
corresponded to that seen in its natural host.
_
The larval period lasted 8-10 days ( x = 9.3 + 0.6; n = 24). The prepupal period
lasted 1-2 days with pupation usually occurring away from the rotting fungal material
_
and frequently on an elevated substrate. The pupal period lasted 12-16 days ( x = 14.3
+ 1.2; n = 15). The adult longevity was 23-42 days (x = 33.3+ 6.3; n = 12). Leiomzya
laevigata probably has more than one generation per year.
DESCRIPTIONS OF IMMATURE STAGES
i-01-2003: I AM STUCK A BIT WITH THESE DESCRIPTIONS, AS BRIT REPORTS
THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY PRESERVED LARVAE. WE ARE ALSO SHORT
OF A FEW ELECTROSCANS, SO WILL PLACE THIS MANUSCRIPT ON HOLD
UNTIL WE GET MORE LARVAL MATERIAL.
Egg:
First-instar Larva:
Second-instar Larva:
Third-instar Larva:
Puparium:
LITERATURE CITED
Buxton, P. A. 1960. British Diptera associated with fungi. III. Flies of all families
reared from about 150 species of fungi. Entomologist Monthly Magazine 96: 6195.
Chandler, P. J. 1978a. Associations with plants. Fungi, pp. 199-211. In A. Stubbs
and P. Chandler, eds., A Dipterist's Handbook. Amat. Entomol. 15.
___. 1978b. A revision of the British Asteiidae (Diptera) including two additions to
the British list. Proceedings British. Entomological Natural History Society 11:
23-34.
Cogan, B. 1978. Major habitats. Sand dunes, pp. 125-129. In A. Stubbs and P.
Chandler, eds., A Dipterist's Handbook. Amat. Entomol. 15.
Hafez, M., S. El-Ziady, and N. Z. Dimetry. 1970. Leaf mining Diptera of vegetables
and crops in Egypt. Bulletin of the Society of Entomology Egypte 54(1971): 389414.
Hardy, D. E., and M. D. Delfinado. 1980. Diptera: Cyclorrhapha III. Series
Schizophora, Section Acalypterae, exclusive of family Drosophilidae.
Insects Hawaii 13: 1-451.
Ferrar, P. 1987. A Guide to the Breeding Habits and Immature Stages of Diptera
Cyclorrhapha. Pt. 1. Entomonograph 8. E. J. Brill, Leiden. 477p.
Papp, L. 1972. Systematical and ecological investigations on fly pests of fungi in
Hungary. II. Sphaeroceridae and Asteiidae (Diptera). Ann. Hist.-Nat. Mus. Natl.
Hungary 64: 315-317.
______. 1992. Immature stages of Leiomyza dudai Sabrosky, 1956 (Diptera,
Asteiidae: Sigaloessinae). Acta Zoologica Hungarica 38: 313-320.
Perry I., and A. E. Stubbs. 1978. Some micro-habitats. Dead wood and sap runs, pp.
65-73. In A. Stubbs and P. Chandler, eds., A Dipterist's Handbook. Amat.
Entomol. 15.
Sabrosky, C. W. 1957. Synopsis of the New World species of the dipterous family
Asteiidae. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 50: 43-61.
______________. 1987. 78. Asteiidae, pp. 899-902. In J. F. McAlpine, ed., Manual
of Nearctic Diptera. Vol. 2. Research Branch Agriculture Canada Monograph
28.
Seguy, E. 1934. Dipteres (Brachyceres) (Muscidae Acalypterae et Scatophagidae).
Faune de France 28: 1-832.
Table 1.
Life history data for Leiomyza laevigata reared from the commercial
mushroom Aqaricus bisporus at 27o C.
Adult longevity
_
23-42 days ( x = 33.3 + 6.3; n = 12)
Pre-mating period
2-3 days
Incubation period
Larval period
Prepupal period
_
5-7 days ( x = 5.6 + 0.7; n = 27)
_
8-10 days ( x = 9.3 + 0.6; n = 24)
1-2 days
Pupal period
_
12-16 days ( x = 14.3 + 1.2; n = 15)
Generations/year
one, possibly two