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

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

<i>Pseudacteon</i> flies (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitize individual ant workers, causing decapitation of the host during pupariation. Phorid flies that attack South American fire ants in the <i>Solenopsis saevissima</i> (Smith) complex are distributed across a wide range of ha...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Li Chen, Sanford D. Porter
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-02-01
Series:Insects
Subjects:
parasitoid
phorid
social insect
<i>solenopsis invicta</i>
red imported fire ant
natural enemies
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4450/11/2/107
Description
Summary:<i>Pseudacteon</i> flies (Diptera: Phoridae) parasitize individual ant workers, causing decapitation of the host during pupariation. Phorid flies that attack South American fire ants in the <i>Solenopsis saevissima</i> (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.
ISSN:2075-4450

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