Emergence differences of fungus gnats (Lycoriella spp.) on three varieties of oyster mushroom

Fungus gnats (Lycoriella spp.) are one of the most destructive pests of mushroom production. They vector parasitic molds such as green mold and also cause direct damage to the crop via larval feeding damage. At present, little information is available about infestations for woodland gourmet mushrooms such as oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.). This study aimed to elucidate differences in infestation loads on three different species of Pleurotus. These species include Pleurotus ostreotus, Pleurotus columbinus (alt. Pleurotus ostreotus var. columbinus), and Pleurotus djamor. These species were chosen for their close relation to each other. Pasteurized straw was inoculated with the each species, placed into 1 quart containers, then held for one week to allow mycelial growth. After one week, five gravid female fungus gnats were placed into the containers and allowed to oviposit. Destructive sampling was performed for three weeks and the larval growth was recorded. At day 21 post infestation, the number of adult emergence was recorded per container. Daily adult emergence recordings were performed for 9 days. These data were analyzed to identify the differences in emergence and development rates for each Pleurotus species.