Ant-parasite
Guides
Apocephalus coquilletti
scuttle fly
Apocephalus coquilletti is a species of scuttle fly in the family Phoridae, first described by Malloch in 1912. The genus Apocephalus is notable for its parasitic species that attack ants, with A. coquilletti specifically documented attacking ants of the genus Camponotus. Like other phorid flies, adults are characterized by a distinctive humpbacked thorax and reduced wing venation.
Caenocholax
Caenocholax is a genus of twisted-winged insects (Strepsiptera) in the family Myrmecolacidae, comprising approximately nine described species. Members are endoparasitoids of ants, with documented associations including Solenopsis invicta and Camponotus planatus. The genus exhibits the extreme sexual dimorphism characteristic of Strepsiptera: males are free-living with reduced forewings and large fan-shaped hindwings, while females remain endoparasitic and neotenic within the host.
Elasmosoma schwarzi
Elasmosoma schwarzi is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Braconidae, subfamily Euphorinae, described by Ashmead in 1895. The genus Elasmosoma comprises ant parasitoids, with females depositing eggs inside adult ant workers. E. schwarzi is native to the southwestern United States, where it has been documented in Texas. Like other members of the genus, it exhibits specialized adaptations for attacking ants, which are highly defensive hosts.
Obeza septentrionalis
Obeza septentrionalis is a species of parasitoid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by Brues in 1907. Members of this genus are known as ant parasites, with females laying eggs in vegetation and larvae attaching to passing ants to be carried into nests where they complete development. The specific epithet "septentrionalis" (northern) suggests a geographic association, though detailed distribution records are limited. Like other Eucharitidae, this species likely exhibits highly specialized host relationships with particular ant species.
Orasema occidentalis
Orasema occidentalis is a species of chalcid wasp in the family Eucharitidae, first described by William Harris Ashmead in 1892. The species is a known parasite of Pheidole desertorum, a species of ant. Like other members of its family, it likely exhibits the specialized life history typical of Eucharitidae, in which larvae develop as parasitoids within ant colonies.