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The larvae emerge in 24 hours and feed for a period between 8 and 16 days, before crawling to a drier spot to pupate. The phorid fly's egg-to-adult life cycle can be as short as 14 days, but may take up to 37 days. Many species of phorid flies are specialist parasitoids of ants, but several species in the tropics are parasitoids of stingless ...
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 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 mushroom phorid fly (Megaselia halterata) is a species of scuttle fly or hump-backed flies in the family Phoridae. "The mushroom phorid" is also used to refer to M. halterata . [ 1 ] Megaselia halterata is a common pest of mushroom cultivation, attracted by the aroma of developing fungal mycelium .
Pseudacteon tricuspis is a species of the Pseudateon genus and a member of the family Phoridae, which is commonly called scuttle flies, humped-back flies, and phorid flies. [2] Eight native Pseudacteon species parasitize native fire ants in the United States (Plowes 2009). The adult P. tricuspis flies are 0.9-1.5mm in length. [3]
The development of each life cycle depends on the environmental conditions in which the larvae are feeding or being reared. It generally occurs "at 22-24°C, the first instar lasts 1-2 days, the second 1-2 days, and the third 3-4 days before pupation and a further 1-2 days before pupation."
Apocephalus borealis is a species of North American parasitoid phorid fly that attacks bumblebees, honey bees, and paper wasps.This parasitoid's genus Apocephalus is best known for the "decapitating flies" that attack a variety of ant species, though A. borealis attacks and alters the behavior of bees and wasps. [1]
These affected bees are often host to more than one fly larva and some individuals have been found to contain 12 phorid larvae. The subfamily Microdontinae contains slightly more than 400 species of hoverflies (family Syrphidae) and, while diverse, these species share several characteristics by which they differ from other syrphids. The ...
Howardula is a genus of nematode that infests the larvae of mushroom-feeding flies, beetles, and other insects. Various Howardula species and strains infest mushroom-feeding Drosophila, including Howardula aoronymphium and Howardula neocosmis. [1] Howardula husseyi can infest the mushroom phorid Megaselia halterata. [2]