Fruit fly pupa

Found indoors near decaying organic matter, ripening fruit, drains, and trash cans. In nature, they inhabit areas with fermenting vegetation.

Larvae (maggots) consume fungal growth and bacteria found on fermenting or decaying organic material; pupae do not eat during this transformative stage.

This is the immobile pupal stage of the life cycle. The larva crawls out of its food source to a dry area and hardens its outer skin into a puparium, where it metamorphoses into an adult fly over several days.

Generally considered a nuisance pest in homes. While they do not bite, they can cross-contaminate food with bacteria. In science, they are highly beneficial as model organisms for genetic research.