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Hello everyone,

last week i have taken the following pictures in Belgium, under a piece of bark on the forest floor.
I have no idea what it might be (diptera species?).
The larva is a few centimeters in lenght and can move in a slimy cylinder, which you can see on the pictures.

I hope someone can help me

thank you

Willem-Jan

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close up

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last picture

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Most likely one of the Keroplatidae (possibly Macrocerinae) of the fungus gnats (Mycetophilidae s.l.). Would be interesting if you could rear it.

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Is it possible to rear it? How?

The problem is that I have no idea if I can find it again, but i could try.

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Keep it under as 'natural' conditions as possible in a 'closed' container. So, try to keep temperature and humidity more or less the same as where the log/piece of bark was found. As far as I know the larvae create a cocoon on the substrate where they live.

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Ok thank you,

I will try to find it again.

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Hallo Willem-Jan,

I am now experimenting with reaction tubes:

- water in the tip;
- a plug of cotton wool on top, which touches the water now and then (I tilt the tube)
- the substrate with larva(e),
- and another plug of cotton wool to keep the animals from flying away after emergence, while providing the necessary ventilation.

If you don't have a reaction tube at hand, maybe you can find a small bottle like those in which herbs are sold.

I think it should work well with larvae from most habitats, at least. As long as they're mobile they can also choose their distance from the moist cotton wool.

However, don't underestimate the capacity of these diptera to pass though the cotton wool! I have no good solution, only pressing the wool tighter. The problem is, if you cover the tube completely, you often get molds eating your larva.

This method is much used for small ant nests (cf. http://www.akolab.com/fourmis/forum/index.php).

In the picture, there's an arrow pointing to a pupa of - I think - Xylota segnis.

Good luck, Louis

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Hi Louis,

you say the species has to be mobile?
I do not know if this one is mobile enough, since it seems it only moves through the slimy cylinder.

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If it's no longer mobile, i.e. a pupa already, just be sure that you put it on the substrate, not on the most cotton wool.

Btw, the cotton wool on top needs to be dry! Louis