Aquascypha is a genus

Genus

In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...

 of fungi in the family Meruliaceae

Meruliaceae

The Meruliaceae are a family of fungi in the order Polyporales. According to a 2008 estimate, the family contains 47 genera and 420 species. The family was formally circumscribed by English mycologist Carleton Rea in...

. It is a monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 genus, containing the single species Aquascypha hydrophora, found in Central and South America. This species forms cup-like structures with dimensions of 2.7 to 14.9 cm (1.1 to 5.9 in) (average 9.2 cm (3.6 in)) and heights of 6.1 to 18 cm (2.4 to 7.1 in) (average 16.3 cm (6.4 in)). Study of this fungus in the Amazon rain forest showed that on average, these cups hold 35 millitres of water, in addition to organic matter such as leaves, flowers and fruits that fall from trees; this provides an ideal environment for various insect species (especially filter-feeding

Filter feeder

Filter feeders are animals that feed by straining suspended matter and food particles from water, typically by passing the water over a specialized filtering structure. Some animals that use this method of feeding are clams, krill, sponges, baleen whales, and many fish and some sharks. Some birds,...

 species like mosquitoes) to breed.