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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Biological Control of Pests Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #173237
Title: CONFINEMENT-TRAY BACKGROUND COLOR AFFECTS PARASITISM RATES OF ATTACKING PSEUDACTEON CURVATUS (DIPTERA: PHORIDAE) IN A LABORATORY REARING SYSTEM

Author
item Thead, Larry
item Streett, Douglas

Submitted to: Journal of Entomological Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/15/2005
Publication Date: 7/11/2005
Citation: Thead, L.G., Streett, D.A. 2005. Confinement-tray Background Color Affects Parasitism Rates of Attacking Pseudacteon curvatus (Diptera: Phoridae) in a Laboratory Rearing System. Journal of Entomological Science.

Interpretive Summary: Imported fire ants are serious pests that infest 300 million acres in the United States. The phorid flies or decapitating flies are biological control agents that only attack imported fire ants. These flies are currently being released in the United States to control imported fire ants. Modifications to the background color of ant confinement-trays in the phorid fly rearing system resulted in parasitism increases by the flies. This potentially reduces the cost of phorid fly production, allowing releases of greater numbers of flies.

Technical Abstract: : Distribution of the phorid fly (Pseudacteon curvatus Borgmeier), a natural parasitoid of imported fire ants, was tested in a laboratory rearing system for dependence on background color. Ants confined within a tray with darker background colors (olive drab, brown or ruddy brown) were parasitized at significantly higher rates than ants confined within a brighter white background tray. This study highlights a factor that may be influencing production levels in a phorid rearing system.