An ant-decapitating fly (Phoridae: Apocephalus sp.) pursues a carpenter ant (Camponotus chromaiodes). If the fly succeeds in laying an egg in the ant, the young larva will consume the ant's tissues, eventually killing it. The fly then crawls into the ant's head capsule, which typically falls off and serves as a protective case for the fly's transition to adulthood. Sand Ridge State Forest, Illinois, USA.
Parasite vs. host: Apocephalus ant-decapitating fly vs. Camponotus carpenter ant. Sand Ridge State Forest, Illinois, USA.
A pair of ant-decapitating flies (Phoridae: Apocephalus sp.) close in on a carpenter ant (Camponotus chromaiodes). The flies appeared shortly after the photographer exposed the ant nest. Sand Ridge State Forest, Illinois, USA.
