Fungus on Dung-fly?

[RobSutton]

Think I might need some help with this - I'm not even sure it is a fungus (I know the fly bit isn't by the way).



Whilst out walking today I noticed a fair number of dung-flies (nothing unusual there) but they all appeared to have swollen abdomens, were dead and were stuck onto various bits of plant - mostly on Spear Thistle but some on Sweet Vernal Grass and one or two other things as well. At first I thought the swollen abdomen indicated attack by some type of parasitic wasp but on looking closer there seemed to be some sort of growth around the outside of the abdomen rather than being something growing inside.

As I said I'm not sure it is a fungus - I couldn't easily bring a specimen back but should be able to go and get one tomorrow. In the mean time does anyone have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

[charlieb]

An Entomophthora sp. ?

see Entomophthora muscae

[RobSutton]

Brilliant - that looks very likely, many thanks Charlie.

[Chris Yeates]

Originally Posted by RobSutton

Whilst out walking today I noticed a fair number of dung-flies (nothing unusual there) but they all appeared to have swollen abdomens, were dead and were stuck onto various bits of plant - mostly on Spear Thistle but some on Sweet Vernal Grass and one or two other things as well. At first I thought the swollen abdomen indicated attack by some type of parasitic wasp but on looking closer there seemed to be some sort of growth around the outside of the abdomen rather than being something growing inside.

As I said I'm not sure it is a fungus - I couldn't easily bring a specimen back but should be able to go and get one tomorrow. In the mean time does anyone have any idea?

Thanks in advance.

Charlie is correct with geenus and the likelihood is E. muscae - spores under microscope for absolute ID

an interesting find - I'll try to put together something about fungi on insects
it's a fascinating area of study . . . . .

Chris

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Chris Yeates

...
an interesting find - I'll try to put together something about fungi on insects
it's a fascinating area of study . . . . .

Chris

Thanks Chris - I shall look forward to reading it.

[Jason Green]

...me too.

If I may add my thoughts...

18/06/09

I saw this poor dead individual yesterday...
...an Anthomyiidae sp. I believe.

06/08/08

It's not just dung-related flies...
Here's a dead Melanostoma sp. hoverfly on a Buttercup... see the pale pink bands of fungal spores around the abdominal segments.

Also grasshoppers and Bibionidae's can be infected, too - amongst many others I'm sure. The infection apparently seems to influence their destination - as they're about to die, they climb up a grass blade or similar and open their wings to aid the escaping spores to exit as they release in the wind.

Fascinating subject.

[Lancashire Lad]

An extremely interesting thread, and yet again I've learned something completely new.

The behaviour of these infected flies, in climbing and then gripping a plant stem, seems similar to the Cordyceps infected ants shown in the recent David Attenborough film. (If you google cordyceps, the time lapse video of the fungus growing in/on an ant is on u-tube).

Look forward to your information on the Entomophthora Chris.

Regards
Mike.

[Jason Green]

Thanks for the heads-up on that, Mike - a very interesting video. Poor ants, I wonder if they infect Harlequins...

[AndyC]

Some more from me a couple of years ago, sorry about the photobucket picture but they were kind of allowed back then. It was a new one on me too, amazing what exotic things we have under our noses.


This Beats Fly Paper!


Andy

[FungiJohn]

Here's one Nettle Runner Les found at Longshaw 21st June 2009.



I'm sure Les will also have a much better image to illustrate the effect.

John