phorid flies

posts about #phoridflies more →
Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends

Your version of Internet Explorer is not supported. Please upgrade to the most recent version in order to view comments.

Dsmvwl Admin Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×

ceilingFANBOY
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
No harm has ever come from introducing a non-native species to control something.
Reply

ceilingFANBOY was starred ceilingFANBOY was unstarred

NotChoinski
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
I think SyFy has just found their next Corbin Bernsen vehicle: Zombie Fly Horror II.
Reply

NotChoinski was starred NotChoinski was unstarred

lightninglouie
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
Can't wait for the inevitable Sci-Fi Original Feature, starring Dean Cain and Penelope Anne Miller.
Reply

lightninglouie was starred lightninglouie was unstarred

acrobatic rabbit
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
a good idea, yet I'm reminded of the problems australia faces with their overpopulated non-native frog problem; incidentally, creating a national frog killing day if i recall correctly.

i suggest we get our fly swatters ready, just in case.
Reply

acrobatic rabbit was starred acrobatic rabbit was unstarred

lightninglouie
05/13/09

@acrobatic rabbit_R.O.A.C.H.: Is Frog-Killing Day anything like Whacking Day in that old Simpsons episode?
Reply

lightninglouie was starred lightninglouie was unstarred

acrobatic rabbit
05/13/09

@lightninglouie: Yep. Pretty much. Only, if i recall correctly, in the Simpson's ep isn't it more of a "traditional" thing? Frog-Killing Day down under is more of an ecological thing.
Reply

acrobatic rabbit was starred acrobatic rabbit was unstarred

lightninglouie
05/13/09

@acrobatic rabbit_R.O.A.C.H.: If memory serves, we find out that Whacking Day was invented in the 19th Century as an excuse for beating up the Irish.
Reply

lightninglouie was starred lightninglouie was unstarred

Kevin Jones
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
Somehow I think it will only slow their advance. No good parasite kills off the host, look what happened to Courtney Love after Kurt died.
Reply

Kevin Jones was starred Kevin Jones was unstarred

corpore-metal
05/13/09

@Kevin Jones:

Actually you've a mistaken definition here: The fly is not a parasite, it's a predator. Predators are really just jumped up parasites that do kill their host every time.
Reply

corpore-metal was starred corpore-metal was unstarred

Grey_Area
05/13/09

@corpore-metal: I thought parasites were predators too wussy to do any real hunting.
Reply

Grey_Area was starred Grey_Area was unstarred

Cicada
05/13/09

@Kevin Jones:

WARNING: I am an entomologist, and the following is not funny or snarky. It is geeky and about bugs, though.

These flies aren't parasites, they are parasitoids. Parasitoids by definition kill their hosts. They are able to do this because they are dependent on their host for only one part of their life (usually the larval stage).

There are plenty of examples of the successful use of parasitoids for the control of pests (mostly wasps, but also flies). In general, you do not use a parasitoid as the only method of control, but rather as a part of an integrated pest management program that includes other methods like pesticides.

Parasitoids are totally cool, mostly because they devour their hosts and are the closest thing we have to the Alien facehugger/chestburster in the real world.
Reply

Cicada was starred Cicada was unstarred

TemporalSword
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
Yup. Then the flies will take over and become a problem, so they'll have to bring in special frogs to eat the flies, then the frogs will overpopulate and they'll have to bring in...whatever eats frogs. Snakes, I guess. Then the snakes will get out of crontrol and they bring in falcons...

I think we all know how this goes.
Reply

TemporalSword was starred TemporalSword was unstarred

ggodo, the man from R.O.A.C.H.
05/13/09

@TemporalSword: There was an old lady who swallowed a horse. . .
Reply

crashedpc - Haifisch
05/13/09

@ggodo, the man from R.O.A.C.H.: She died, of course.
Reply

DeepFriar
05/13/09

@TemporalSword: Dyno-mutts!
Reply

DeepFriar was starred DeepFriar was unstarred

Annalee Newitz
05/13/09

@TemporalSword: Then they bring in Mega Shark.
Reply

Annalee Newitz was starred Annalee Newitz was unstarred

MickyK
05/13/09

@ggodo, the man from R.O.A.C.H.: I always thought that story/song was an innuendo for bestiality...

being impailed by a horse's "member" is definitely a horrible way to die.
Reply

MickyK was starred MickyK was unstarred

Trai_Dep
05/14/09

@MickyK: Yet the horse's satisfied grin almost makes it worth it. Almost.
Reply

Trai_Dep was starred Trai_Dep was unstarred

crashedpc - Haifisch
05/13/09

In reply to Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends
I hate ants more than flies. Damn ants get everywhere, all over. Zombify them, go ahead. Ugh.
Reply

kagekiri
05/13/09

@crashedpc : ゴキブリ and 蟑螂 division: Really? The whole "billions of bacteria and viruses dwell on their footpads" thing with flies and the fact they get into my house more than ants makes them way more annoying. If I had fire-ants or tons of mosquitoes in the area, I might be more annoyed at them, but flies win my hatred at home.
Reply

kagekiri was starred kagekiri was unstarred

Trai_Dep
05/14/09

@kagekiri: That's why I always insist that flies (and ants - I'm a strict host) don those little cotton shoes before entering my house.

The worst part is they end up leaving wearing them, and at three pairs apiece, it quickly adds up.
Reply

Trai_Dep was starred Trai_Dep was unstarred

Earlier discussions Other discussions Show all discussions Show featured discussions only Start a new discussion

#phoridflies

io9

SUBSCRIBE TO io9

Headless Fire Ant Zombies Are Your Friends

Login

Reset Password

Register

Submit Your Comment