Flies turning California honeybees into zombies

A parasite is decimating the honeybee population of Silicon Valley in California, turning the insects into zombies, San Francisco biologists theorize, according to MercuryNews.com.




The scientists speculate this parasitic phorid fly (Apocephalus borealis) could be one of many contributing factors of Colony Collapse Disorder, the phenomenon of failing honeybee hives around the United States, a top concern to the agriculture industry, which depends on pollination.

If zombie insects rings a bell, think back to 2009, when in Texas, researchers began fighting stinging fire ants with parasitic flies, in fact another phorid fly that is attacking the honeybees, Pseudacteon obtusus:

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 as many as 23 phorid species along with pathogens attack fire ants to keep their population and movements under control.

So far, four phorid species have been introduced in Texas, where fire ants cost the 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.

The flies “divebomb” the fire ants and lay eggs, and then the maggot that hatches inside the ant eats away at the brain. Later, the ant gets up and starts wandering for about two weeks, said Rob Plowes, a research associate at the University of Texas at Austin.

Laura Weisman