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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Imported Fire Ant and Household Insects Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #114795
Title: ILLUSTRATED KEY TO PSEUDACTEON DECAPITATING FLIES (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) THAT ATTACK SAEVISSIMA COMPLEX FIRE ANTS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Author
item Porter, Sanford
item PESQUERO, MARCOS - UNIV. FED. DE SAO CARLOS

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/14/2001
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Pseudacteon flies are of interest because of their unusual life history and potential value as classical fire ant biological control agents. This paper by Sanford D. Porter (USDA-ARS, Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, FL) and Marcos A. Pesquero (Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil) provides an illustrated key in English and Portuguese to 18 South American species of Pseudacteon decapitating flies that attack Solenopsis fire ants in the saevissima complex. The taxonomic history and current status of species in the genus Pseudacteon are discussed. This key will be valuable to future biocontrol efforts because it will greatly simplify identification of Pseudacteon flies that attack fire ants in South America.

Technical Abstract: This paper provides an illustrated key in English and Portuguese to 18 South American species of Pseudacteon decapitating flies that attack Solenopsis fire ants in the saevissima complex. The taxonomic history and current status of species in the genus Pseudacteon are discussed. Pseudacteon flies are of interest because of their unusual life history and dpotential value as classical fire ant biocontrol agents.