Adult flies may be present on mushroom production
sites throughout the year
but are most numerous during
May - November.
On average, a mated female can lay 150-170 white, oval
eggs singly, or in groups within the growing substrate. Depending on temperature, these eggs will hatch
within three to four days to produce larvae.
The larvae feed on developing
mycelium burrow into pinheads and small buttons forming a sponge-like mass.
Mature
larvae are approximately 8.0 mm in length and can remove mycelial attachments at the base of the stalk
and in severe infestations may enter stalks and caps.
Sciarid infestations in Phase
I compost should be eliminated by efficient pasteurisation.
Subsequent
infestations are caused by adult females, which are attracted to the fermentation odours produced during
compost cool-down.
Environmental conditions during the spawn-running
period facilitate the completion of a generation of sciarids within 2-3 weeks.
