Posted by Gerrit Oehm on 02-05-2012 08:58
#1
There are sometimes some Fungi (?), which cause the dead of some flies.
Does anyone knows more about them? I see often a lot of dead Empididae, there are dead Bibionidae killed the same way as well, as you can see in the following:
http://www.dipter...d_id=47016
Are there certain species of Fungi doing this?
Thanks for your help!
Gerrit
Edited by Gerrit Oehm on 04-02-2013 11:36
Posted by Martin Cooper on 02-05-2012 09:16
#2
Entomophthora muscae is a fungus that kills flies. here are some examples here
http://www.bioima...muscae.htm.
The fungus grow into the insect's brain to control its behaviour, eg make it climb up to the top of a stem to help the spores to disperse.
Posted by Gerrit Oehm on 02-05-2012 09:47
#3
yes, it looks like the ones I saw...
are there similar fungi doing the same
or is this the only species like you descibed?
Edited by Gerrit Oehm on 02-05-2012 09:48