Coboldia fuscipes (Meigen, 1830)
Adults: Tiny, black, shiny flies (usually 1-4 mm) appearing somewhat laterally flattened; head moderately compressed laterally; eyes forming a dorsal bridge; antennae somewhat short and robust; wings milky, with reduced venation - only 2 veins heavily sclerotized, other veins mostly inconspicuous.
Head: Head moderately compressed laterally; eyes forming a dorsal bridge; antennae somewhat short and robust
Wing: Wings with reduced venation - only C and R veins heavily sclerotized, other veins being inconspicuous
Male abdomen: Males with produced spatulate process on 7th tergite
Larva: Eucephalic, peripneustic and legless; body compressed dorso-ventrally with spiracles elevated on short processes.
The larvae feed in mushroom mycelium and/or on decaying fungal, animal or plant tissue.
Adults are not known to feed, but likely imbibe liquids from environmental substrates. They can be found mating near situations where the larvae dwell. Adults are often seen coupled, and may crawl around, attached, for some period of time.
These flies have been used in laboratory studies of developmental gene expression (Bulllock et al. 2004).
Economic Impact : A pest of oyster mushroom and other commercially grown mushrooms (Kim et al. 1999)
Cosmopolitan