Solenopsis-invicta

Guides

• Cyphoderus similis

  Cyphoderus similis is an elongate-bodied springtail species in the family Paronellidae, described by J.W. Folsom in 1927. It is myrmecophilic and has been documented in phoretic association with the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). The species occurs across multiple insular and coastal regions including the Caribbean, Hawaii, Macaronesia, and the Amazon basin.

  myrmecophilyphoresisspringtailelongate-bodiedParonellidaeCyphoderusSolenopsis-invictafire-ant-associationinsular-distributionNeotropicalCaribbeanHawaiiMacaronesiaAmazonFolsom-1927

• Pseudacteon tricuspis

  fire ant decapitating fly, phorid fly

  Pseudacteon tricuspis is a parasitoid phorid fly that specifically targets the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Adult females deposit eggs directly into worker ants, and the developing larvae eventually decapitate the host. The species was introduced to the United States in the late 1990s as a biological control agent against this invasive ant. Native to South America, it has now established populations across the southeastern United States.

  parasitoidbiological-controlinvasive-species-managementfire-antSolenopsis-invictasexual-dimorphismenvironmental-sex-determinationdecapitating-fly