Smallest Fly Loves Eating Ant Brains
The smallest known species of fly (smaller than a grain of salt) was recently discovered in Thailand. But its’ miniscule size is not the only interesting fact about it. Some of its eating habits are downright morbid. The female of the parasitic species appears to have a pointed egg-depositing organ, which it uses to lay eggs inside other insects. They specifically tend to prefer using larger ants as homes for their brain-loving babies.
The females lay their eggs in the bodies of ants, the perfect warm place for the little would-be fly to grow. After the eggs develop, they move to inhabit the ant’s head where they first feed on the muscles of the jaw. Eventually, when all of the good meat has been gobbled, the baby ant finishes off the poor ant by dining on its’ brain. While the larva is chowing down, the ant slowly begins to wander aimlessly…for two weeks until the larva dissolves the membrane that keeps the head attached.
The fun doesn’t end there, though. The fly then settles down in the ant’s decapitated head for a couple of weeks until it hatches into a full-grown adult. At least they don’t waste anything.
What are your thoughts on these ant brain eating flies? Do some of these bizarre tropical bugs give you the creeps?