Parasitic flies turn fire ants into zombies
Discussion
"It sounds like something out of science fiction: zombie fire ants. But it's all too real.
Fire ants wander aimlessly away from the mound.
Eventually their heads fall off, and they die.
The strange part is that researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension Service say making "zombies" out of fire ants is a good thing.
"It's a tool — they're not going to completely wipe out the fire ant, but it's a way to control their population," said Scott Ludwig , an integrated pest management specialist with the AgriLife Extension Service in Overton , in East Texas.
The tool is the tiny phorid fly, native to a region of South America where the fire ants in Texas originated. Researchers have learned that there are as many as 23 phorid species along with pathogens that attack fire ants to keep their population and movements under control.
So far, four phorid species have been introduced in Texas .
The flies "dive-bomb" the fire ants and lay eggs. The maggot that hatches inside the ant eats away at the brain, and the ant starts exhibiting what some might say is zombie-like behavior.
"At some point, the ant gets up and starts wandering," said Rob Plowes, a research associate at UT.
The maggot eventually migrates into the ant's head, but Plowes said he "wouldn't use the word 'control' to describe what is happening. There is no brain left in the ant, and the ant just starts wandering aimlessly. This wandering stage goes on for about two weeks."
About a month after the egg is laid, the ant's head falls off and the fly emerges ready to attack any foraging ants away from the mound and lay eggs.
Plowes said fire ants are "very aware" of these tiny flies, and it only takes a few to cause the ants to modify their behavior.
"Just one or two flies can control movement or above-ground activity," Plowes said. "It's kind of like a medieval activity where you're putting a castle under siege."
Researchers began introducing phorid species in Texas in 1999. The first species has traveled all the way from Central and South Texas to the Oklahoma border. This year, UT researchers will add colonies south of the Metroplex at farms and ranches from Stephenville to Overton .
It is the fourth species introduced in Texas .
Fire ants cost the Texas economy about $1 billion annually by damaging circuit breakers and other electrical equipment, according to a Texas A&M study. They can also threaten young calves.
Determining whether the phorid flies will work in Texas will take time, perhaps as long as a decade.
"These are very slow acting," Plowes said. "It's more like a cumulative impact measured across a time frame of years. It's not an immediate silver bullet impact."
The flies, which are USDA -approved, do not attack native ants or species and have been introduced in other Gulf Coast states, Plowes said. Despite initial concerns, farmers and ranchers have been willing to let researchers use their property to establish colonies. At the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth in March, Plowes said they found plenty of volunteers."
Does this creep anyone else out? Youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZm2FwdHlJY
I'm not sure whether it's creepy or cool or both!
Fire ants wander aimlessly away from the mound.
Eventually their heads fall off, and they die.
The strange part is that researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M's AgriLife Extension Service say making "zombies" out of fire ants is a good thing.
"It's a tool — they're not going to completely wipe out the fire ant, but it's a way to control their population," said Scott Ludwig , an integrated pest management specialist with the AgriLife Extension Service in Overton , in East Texas.
The tool is the tiny phorid fly, native to a region of South America where the fire ants in Texas originated. Researchers have learned that there are as many as 23 phorid species along with pathogens that attack fire ants to keep their population and movements under control.
So far, four phorid species have been introduced in Texas .
The flies "dive-bomb" the fire ants and lay eggs. The maggot that hatches inside the ant eats away at the brain, and the ant starts exhibiting what some might say is zombie-like behavior.
"At some point, the ant gets up and starts wandering," said Rob Plowes, a research associate at UT.
The maggot eventually migrates into the ant's head, but Plowes said he "wouldn't use the word 'control' to describe what is happening. There is no brain left in the ant, and the ant just starts wandering aimlessly. This wandering stage goes on for about two weeks."
About a month after the egg is laid, the ant's head falls off and the fly emerges ready to attack any foraging ants away from the mound and lay eggs.
Plowes said fire ants are "very aware" of these tiny flies, and it only takes a few to cause the ants to modify their behavior.
"Just one or two flies can control movement or above-ground activity," Plowes said. "It's kind of like a medieval activity where you're putting a castle under siege."
Researchers began introducing phorid species in Texas in 1999. The first species has traveled all the way from Central and South Texas to the Oklahoma border. This year, UT researchers will add colonies south of the Metroplex at farms and ranches from Stephenville to Overton .
It is the fourth species introduced in Texas .
Fire ants cost the Texas economy about $1 billion annually by damaging circuit breakers and other electrical equipment, according to a Texas A&M study. They can also threaten young calves.
Determining whether the phorid flies will work in Texas will take time, perhaps as long as a decade.
"These are very slow acting," Plowes said. "It's more like a cumulative impact measured across a time frame of years. It's not an immediate silver bullet impact."
The flies, which are USDA -approved, do not attack native ants or species and have been introduced in other Gulf Coast states, Plowes said. Despite initial concerns, farmers and ranchers have been willing to let researchers use their property to establish colonies. At the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association in Fort Worth in March, Plowes said they found plenty of volunteers."
Does this creep anyone else out? Youtube here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZm2FwdHlJY
I'm not sure whether it's creepy or cool or both!
There's much worse in nature.
Like the Ladybird parasite who does a simmiler thing: fly "injects" egg into ladybird, which then grows by eating the non-essential organs (like the sexual organs). When the parasite is big enough, it cuts throguh the gut, and suspends itself underneath the ladybird ina coccoon. It then east the essential organs, and when the ladybird dies, it breaks open fully developed.
There are some very, very nasty prasites out there. Humans just dont have the immagination...
Like the Ladybird parasite who does a simmiler thing: fly "injects" egg into ladybird, which then grows by eating the non-essential organs (like the sexual organs). When the parasite is big enough, it cuts throguh the gut, and suspends itself underneath the ladybird ina coccoon. It then east the essential organs, and when the ladybird dies, it breaks open fully developed.
There are some very, very nasty prasites out there. Humans just dont have the immagination...
I watched a program about this a while back. A few professors transporting the flies to regions where ants were killing pets and causing nothing but headaches for everyone.
It was funny watching the flies swooping down to sting (or ingregnate) the ants heads. Only a few were needed to take care of a huge swarm.
Did anyone see or hear about a species of bee (possible a rule for all bees) that once in the nest of a different species, they will not be attacked by the thousands of others that you'd expect to defend the queen. They just watch the imposters kill the queen and the imposters are now proud owners of a new home.
It was funny watching the flies swooping down to sting (or ingregnate) the ants heads. Only a few were needed to take care of a huge swarm.
Did anyone see or hear about a species of bee (possible a rule for all bees) that once in the nest of a different species, they will not be attacked by the thousands of others that you'd expect to defend the queen. They just watch the imposters kill the queen and the imposters are now proud owners of a new home.
There's a parasite that does similar things happens to humans;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_trypanosomias...
The resultant "human zombies" are f
king terrifying.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_trypanosomias...
The resultant "human zombies" are f
king terrifying. If people think that's gross. I remember hearing about one a while ago and off the top of my head, what it did was penetrate the brain of a particular animal (I forget which), and then hang out of the back of its head. It then used this to control the animals body and lead it to water where it would drown it 
Or something like that.
Or something like that.
ezi said:
If people think that's gross. I remember hearing about one a while ago and off the top of my head, what it did was penetrate the brain of a particular animal (I forget which), and then hang out of the back of its head. It then used this to control the animals body and lead it to water where it would drown it
Or something like that.
More info on this is needed!!! My curiosity is getting the better of me at the moment!Or something like that.
That animal sounds pretty sadistic (and therefore, totally AWESOME)!
ezi said:
If people think that's gross. I remember hearing about one a while ago and off the top of my head, what it did was penetrate the brain of a particular animal (I forget which), and then hang out of the back of its head. It then used this to control the animals body and lead it to water where it would drown it
Or something like that.
That rings a bell actually, that might be what I saw now that I think of it. It's kind of like in Starship Troopers when they "get into their head" and make them do things. CreepyOr something like that.
captainzep said:
You all seem to be pretty complacent about the primary problem.
Fire Ants?
Fire Ants?
Ants, made of and/or shooting fire?
Fecking Nora.
-I can only assume that we're kept safe due to some kind of fragile equilibrium caused by Water Spiders.
It's a war that rages all around us...but yet we turn a blind eye to plight of the natural world. Who will stand up for those caught inbetween?!Fire Ants?
Fire Ants?
Ants, made of and/or shooting fire?
Fecking Nora.
-I can only assume that we're kept safe due to some kind of fragile equilibrium caused by Water Spiders.
WHO!!!!!!!!!!!??
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