Riboflavin as One of Possible Components of Keroplatus (Insecta: Diptera: Keroplatidae) Fungus Gnat Bioluminescence

Keroplatus is a genus of fungus gnats family Keroplatidae (Diptera, Bibionomorpha). Larvae of some species emit a constant blue light from the body. The bioluminescence of Keroplatidae is one of the least studied of all terrestrial insects and very few facts are known to date of its biology and biochemistry. Here we report the high level of riboflavin in Keroplatus testaceus larvae, a fluorescent compound that might be relative to its bioluminescent system. We suppose that riboflavin may play a role in Keroplatus spp. bioluminescence.