''Pseudacteon'' is a genus of flies in the family

Phoridae The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking flight. This behaviour is a source of one of their al ...

. 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 larva has effectively taken control. The worker leaves the nest and dies in the

leaf litter Plant litter (also leaf litter, tree litter, soil litter, litterfall, or duff) is dead plant material (such as leaves, bark, needles, twigs, and cladodes) that has fallen to the ground. This detritus or dead organic material and its constituen ...

or in a crack in the soil. As it dies, the ant's head falls off, apparently because the fly larva releases an enzyme that dissolves the membrane attaching the ant's head to its body. The fly pupates in the detached head capsule, requiring a further two weeks before emerging through the ant's mouth. In tropical, subtropical areas the flies are active all year round, but in temperate regions they are active during all months except the winter months. Several ''Pseudacteon'' species were deliberately introduced to the United States to combat via

biological control Biological control or biocontrol is a method of controlling pests, whether pest animals such as insects and mites, weeds, or pathogens affecting animals or plants by using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or o ...

the invasive fire ant species ''

Solenopsis invicta ''Solenopsis invicta'', the fire ant, or red imported fire ant (RIFA), is a species of ant native to South America. A member of the genus '' Solenopsis'' in the subfamily Myrmicinae, it was described by Swiss entomologist Felix Santschi as a ...

''.

Species

*'' P. aduncus'' Borgmeier, 1969 *'' P. affinis'' Borgmeier, 1962 *'' P. antiguensis'' ( Malloch, 1912) *'' P. arcuatus'' Borgmeier, 1969 *'' P. australis'' Borgmeier, 1962 *'' P. bifidus'' Brown & Morrison, 1999 *'' P. bispinosus'' Borgmeier & Prado, 1975 *'' P. borgmeieri'' Schmitz, 1923 *'' P. borgmeieri'' Schmitz, 1923 *'' P. botulpalpatus'' Disney & Mikhailovskaya, 2000 *'' P. brevicauda'' Schmitz, 1925 *'' P. browni'' Disney, 1991 *'' P. bulbosus'' Brown, Folgarait & Gilbert, 2003 *'' P. calderensis'' Calcaterra, 2007 *'' P. californiensis'' Disney, 1982 *'' P. caudalis'' Borgmeier, 1923 *'' P. claridgei'' Disney, 2000 *'' P. comatus'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. conicornis'' Borgmeier, 1962 *'' P. convexicauda'' Borgmeier, 1962 *'' P. crawfordi'' Coquillett, 1907 *'' P. crinifer'' Beyer, 1966 *'' P. cultellatus'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. curriei'' ( Malloch, 1912) *'' P. curvatus'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. dentiger'' Borgmeier, 1962 *'' P. disneyi'' Pesquero, 2000 *'' P. dorymyrmecis'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. fennicus'' Schmitz, 1927 *'' P. formicarum'' ( Verrall, 1877) *'' P. fowleri'' Pesquero, 2000 *'' P. furvicolor'' (Beyer, 1959) *'' P. genebrae'' Mattos & Orr, 2002 *'' P. grandis'' Greene, 1940 *'' P. hexasetalis'' Liu & Cai, 2013 *'' P. javensis'' ( Brues, 1915) *'' P. lenkoi'' Borgmeier & Prado, 1975 *'' P. litoralis'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. lonicauda'' Borgmeier & Prado, 1975 *'' P. lontrae'' Mattos & Orr, 2002 *'' P. lundbecki'' Schmitz, 1924 *'' P. lusitanus'' Schmitz, 1938 *'' P. nocens'' Borgmeier, 1926 *'' P. nudicornis'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. obtusatus'' Liu & Cai, 2013 *'' P. obtusus'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. onyx'' Steyskal, 1944 *'' P. palpatus'' Schmitz, 1938 *'' P. pradei'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. pullum'' Mikhailovskaya, 1995 *'' P. pusillus'' Borgmeier, 1938 *'' P. quadrisetalis'' Liu & Cai, 2013 *'' P. rudisetosus'' Disney & Mikhailovskaya, 2000 *'' P. setipalpatus'' Disney & Mikhailovskaya, 2000 *'' P. setosus'' Disney & Mikhailovskaya, 2000 *'' P. simplex'' Borgmeier, 1969 *'' P. solenopsidis'' (Schmitz, 1914) *'' P. spatulata'' ( Malloch, 1912) *'' P. tricuspis'' Borgmeier, 1925 *'' P. tubiceroides'' Disney, 2000 *'' P. wasmanni'' (Schmitz, 1914)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4047517 Phoridae Platypezoidea genera Parasites of Hymenoptera Taxa named by Daniel William Coquillett