Smallest known fly is an ant killer

The smallest known fly species has recently been identified by Brian Brown of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The fly,  Euryplatea nanaknihali (Diptera: Phoridae), was discovered in Thailand, and is a member of the genus: Euryplatea, which are known to be phorid flies.

Phoridae is a family of small flies that can be identified by their humpback and many members are parasites of flies and bees. It is likely that the behavior of E. nanaknihali may be similar to that of other phorid flies which lay eggs in the body of an ant. The larva migrates to the ant's head and feeds on the muscles used to open and close the mouthparts, eventually eating the brain which causes the ant to wander for up to two weeks. The head falls off when the larva dissolve the membrane that keeps the head attached off. The larva then remain in the head where it pupates and hatches into an adult after two weeks.

The picture below shows E. nanaknihali on the right, and a size comparison with a house fly (Musca domestica) on the left.

Credit: (c) Inna-Marie Strazhnik

Rough day to be a ant.

Sources:
Citation:
Brown B.V. (2012). Small Size No Protection for Acrobat Ants: World's Smallest Fly Is a Parasitic Phorid (Diptera: Phoridae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 105, 550-554.

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