''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 to the wing. This behaviour is a source of one of thei ...

. 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 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, such as insects, mites, weeds, and plant diseases, using other organisms. It relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms, but typically also invo ...

the invasive fire ant species ''

Solenopsis invicta The red imported fire ant (''Solenopsis invicta''), also known as the fire ant or 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 Feli ...

''.

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 Daniel William Coquillett (23 January 1856, Pleasant Valley, Ill. – 7 July 1911 Atlantic City, New Jersey) was an American entomologist who specialised in Diptera. He wrote a revision of the dipterous family Therevidae and many other scientifi ...

, 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