An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to separate a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi) from her nestmates. Lone ants make easier targets.  

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
Solenopsis macdonaghi fire ants attacked by a Pseudacteon ant-decapitating fly.  

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
One of the defenses fire ants (Solenopsis sp.) employ against parasitic phorid flies (Pseudacteon sp.) is to hide.   It is thought that the effectiveness of the flies in controlling pest fire ant populations is due more to disruption of the ants' normal foraging behavior than to the parasitism itself.

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to oviposit on a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi).

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to separate a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi) from her nestmates. Lone ants make easier targets.  

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Argentina
An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to separate a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi) from her nestmates. Lone ants make easier targets.

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to separate a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi) from her nestmates. Lone ants make easier targets.  

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
An Ant-Decapitating Fly (Phoridae, Pseudacteon sp.) attempts to separate a fire ant (Solenopsis macdonaghi) from her nestmates. Lone ants make easier targets.

Parque Nacional El Palmar, Entre Rios, Argentina
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all images and text © Alex Wild 2001-2013