> Why are they called fungus gnats?
Hmm. I don't know where the "fungus" part comes from, but they
seem to be ubiquitous in wet peat. I think they need rotting
vegetation to thrive.
> Are they dangerous to my plants?
If the plants are kept too wet, the maggots will start chewing on the
roots, and can destroy a plant in a few days. They are especially bad
with seedlings. They only seem to bother really tender plants, like pings
and some drosera. I've never noticed any damage to VFTs, Sarrs, Neps, etc.
> If so what can I do to them and the maggots? I had them this year,
> but only in one pot, and that plant died (are they guilty?),
I have less of a problem with them when I pot my pings in a
perlite/vermiculite mix. When I see a ping go limp, I usually check the
roots for larvae. If found, I use Diazinon and repot in fresh mix.
Letting your pots go nearly dry once in a while may discourage them
slightly.
-- Rick