Fruit fly

Commonly found in homes, grocery stores, restaurants, and gardens, especially near ripening or fermenting fruits and vegetables

Adults and larvae feed on the microorganisms (yeast) and sugars found in fermenting and decaying organic matter

They are highly attracted to the smell of fermentation; they have a very rapid life cycle, often completing development from egg to adult in about 8 to 10 days

They are primarily a nuisance pest but can potentially contaminate food with bacteria; they are extremely beneficial in scientific research as model organisms for genetics and developmental biology