Apocephalus borealis
This record describes Apocephalus borealis (species). Recorded family: Phoridae. Recorded order: Diptera.
Identification and Appearance
Recently they have started parasitizing honey bees. PLOSone . A New Threat to Honey Bees, the Parasitic Phorid Fly Apocephalus borealis
Wikipedia reference for Apocephalus borealis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocephalus_borealis.
Classification
Diet and Behavior
Life History
According to Brian Brown, these flies are parasitoids of bumble bees and other hosts.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Diptera, the group containing Apocephalus borealis. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Diptera includes over 150,000 described species of flies, mosquitoes, and midges. Mosquitoes are the deadliest animal on Earth (CDC). Malaria alone causes ~249 million cases and over 608,000 deaths annually, mostly children under 5 (WHO). Vector-borne diseases account for over 17% of all infectious diseases, causing 700,000+ deaths per year.
Ecological role of the group
Despite their disease impact, flies are critical decomposers and pollinators. Hoverflies alone pollinate hundreds of crop and wildflower species. Flies are also the primary food source for many birds, bats, and fish. Forensic entomology relies heavily on fly species for crime scene analysis.
Economic and practical significance of the group
In the U.S., vector-borne disease cases tripled between 2004-2016, with over 640,000 cases reported in that period (CDC). Tickborne diseases doubled from 22,000 to 48,000 annual reports. Globally, mosquito-borne diseases cost billions in healthcare and lost productivity.
Recorded sources for this group: WHO, CDC, PNAS. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Apocephalus borealis (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Ken Schneider; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset