Liu, Guang-Chun;Disney, R. Henry L.
Pseudacteon
Sign in to savePseudacteon is a genus of flies in the family Phoridae. There are over 70 described species of Pseudacteon fly. They are also known as ant-decapitating flies due to their parasitic larval stage. An egg is injected by the female fly into the shoulder joint of an ant worker. Soon after, the egg undergoes rapid inflation as it appears to absorb ant hemolymph. This first instar larva migrates into the ant head and consumes the jaw muscle and other tissues, leaving the mandibles hanging and preparing a future exit space. After about two weeks, the ant worker is termed a "zombie" because the fly lar
Species
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderDiptera
- FamilyPhoridae
Observations3
via GBIF
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 201
- Family
- Acteonidae
- Collections
- RBINS-SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE, NRM, USNM, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, CENTRE FOR BIODIVERSITY GENOMICS
- Recorded in
- Morocco, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, United States, Canada
Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Metopininae
- Image
- Phorid fly2.jpg
Show 6 more facts
- taxon rank
- genus
- Commons category
- Pseudacteon
- taxon name
- Pseudacteon
- Commons gallery
- Pseudacteon
- taxon common name
- Fire Ant Decapitating Flies
- diel cycle
- diurnality
Sources (1)
via Wikidata · CC0