Biology and Behavior of Pseudacteon Decapitating Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) that Parasitize Solenopsis Fire Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)
Abstract
Larvae of phorid flies in the genus Pseudacteon have the unusual habit of decapitating fire ant workers and pupating inside the empty head capsule which they use as a pupal case. Flies in this genus are the subject of considerable interest because they have the potential of being used as classical biological control agents against imported fire ants in North America. This paper details what is known and not known about their interesting life history, attack behavior, mating behavior, host specificity, and impacts on fire ant behavior. The biogeography, community structure, and possible impacts on fire ant populations are also considered.Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright for any article published in Florida Entomologist is held by the author(s) of the article. Florida Entomologist is an open access journal. Florida Entomologist follows terms of the Creative Commons, Attribution Non-Commercial License (cc by-nc). By submitting and publishing articles in Florida Entomologist, authors grant the FOJ and Florida Entomologist's host institutions permission to make the article available through Internet posting and electronic dissemination, and to otherwise archive the information contained both electronically and in a hard printed version. When used, information and images obtained from articles must be referenced and cited appropriately. Articles may be reproduced for personal, educational, or archival purposes, or any non-commercial use. Permission should be sought from the author(s) for multiple, non-commercial reproduction. Written permission from the author(s) is required for any commercial reproduction.
