Phorid Flies Fire Ants

Phorid flies, also known as coffin flies, are a subfamily of Diptera in the family Phoridae. They are found in India, Africa, Australia, and Central and South America. The adults are between 0.5 and 1 inch long, with a hairy body and short wings; they resemble tiny wasps. Female adults do not have wings and the males often have wings that are reduced, stunted or absent all together. The phorid fly, also known as the brain fly, is a type of parasitic fly. The brain fly parasitizes ants and some other insects, laying its eggs on or in the body of its host, which it then uses to feed its young. Sometimes, the mind-controlled animal pupates with the larva feeding off body nutrients until emerging from its pupal skin as an adult fly. There is a relationship between spiders and the parasitic flies that lay their eggs on them. Ants and termites live in mutualistic symbiosis with fungi such as the Ophiocordyceps unilateralis , an ascomycete species, as well.

Phorid Flies Fire Ants

Phorid flies are a unique kind of fly that have been known to infect fire ants.

Fire ants are the most dangerous kind of ant, and they can be found all over the world. They’re known for their ability to form giant colonies and organize themselves into complex structures.

However, phorid flies are parasites that can infect fire ants and cause them to become paralyzed and die. This has caused some problems in the past with eradicating fire ants from certain areas by introducing phorid flies into their nests.

Phorid flies are tiny insects that parasitize ants. They are so small that you need a microscope to see them. They lay their eggs inside fire ants, which then hatch into larvae. The larvae eat the fire ant’s brain and take over its body, then emerge from the ant’s head as adult flies.

Scientists first discovered phorid flies in 1865 when they noticed that some ants had strange-looking heads on their bodies. In 1899, scientists found out what was causing this strange growth: a phorid fly larva was inside the ant’s head! It wasn’t until 1931 that researchers figured out how to keep the flies from turning into adult flies—they had to kill off all of the ants before they could be infected by phorid flies!

Phorid flies are a type of fly that parasitizes ants. They are unique in that they do not lay eggs inside the host, but rather inject their eggs into the ant’s head. This is a very unusual process for flies, because most species of fly lay their eggs externally on the host.

In addition to being unique in how they reproduce, phorid flies are also unique in their appearance. They have a very long proboscis (nose), which they use to feed off of their hosts’ blood. Their bodies are covered in scales and bristles, and they have a bulbous head with large eyes and antennae. The larvae are white, legless maggots that can be seen wriggling out of the ants’ heads when they emerge.

The best way to tell if an ant has been infected by phorid flies is by looking at its head; if it appears swollen or distended, it may be infected with these parasites.

List of Phorid Flies Fire Ants