Fruit fly pupa

Found in kitchens, compost bins, or near decaying organic matter like overripe fruit

The pupal stage is non-feeding; larvae feed on yeast and bacteria on fermenting organic material

This is a stationary life stage where the larva undergoes metamorphosis into an adult fly inside a hard puparium

Generally considered a nuisance pest in homes; can mechanically transfer bacteria but also acts as a vital model organism in genetic research