Biology of Pseudacteon Decapitating Flies (Diptera: Phoridae) That Parasitize Ants of the Solenopsis saevissima Complex (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in South America.

Li Chen,Sanford D Porter

doi:10.3390/insects11020107

Abstract

Pseudacteon flies (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitize individual ant workers, causing decapitation of the host during pupariation. Phorid flies that attack South American fire ants in the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) complex are distributed across a wide range of habitats and climates associated with the geographical range of their hosts. Sympatric species sharing the same hosts often partition niche resources by season, active time of day, host size, and/or different host activities. They have the potential of being used for biological control of the imported fire ants in North America, Australia, and Asia.

Highlights

Pseudacteon decapitating flies are specific parasitoids of ants [1]
In some larger Pseudacteon species like Pseudacteon litoralis, P. nocens, P. obtusus, and P. tricuspis, male flies are smaller than female flies from the same species, but their size ranges may overlap to some degree [17]
Pseudacteon affinis, P. disneyi, P. litoralis, and P. nocens are usually active in the early morning and late afternoon, whereas P. cultellatus, P. curvatus, P. dentiger, P. nudicornis, P. obtusitus, P. obtusus, and P. tricuspis are mainly active during the middle of the day [47,53,54]

Summary

Introduction

Pseudacteon decapitating flies are specific parasitoids of ants [1]. At least 22 species of Pseudacteon flies are known to attack South American fire ants in the Solenopsis saevissima (Smith) complex [2,3,4]. Seventeen species are parasitoids of the black imported fire ant, Solenopsis richteri, and the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta [2]. These fly species are specific to S. saevissima complex fire ants and do not occur in populations of Solenopsis geminata complex fire ants native to North and Central. Under forced laboratory conditions, some of these fly species (e.g., Pseudacteon curvatus, Pseudacteon obtusus, Pseudacteon tricuspis, and Pseudacteon wasmanni) can parasitize fire ants in the geminata complex; rates of successful parasitism are always very low [8,9,10,11]. We focus on life history, distribution, phenology, and activity patterns of parasitic Pseudacteon flies, and their association with fire ants

Parasitic Life of Pseudacteon Phorid Flies

Distribution

Phenology and Activity Pattern

Phorid Fly–Fire Ant Association

Findings

Conclusions