Fruit fly

Indoor environments near overripe produce, drains, trash cans, or fermenting organic matter.

Larvae eat yeast and bacteria from fermenting organic matter; adults feed on the sugary liquids of decaying fruit.

Rapid life cycle (8-10 days); attracted to the smell of fermentation and carbon dioxide; active throughout the year indoors.

Primarily a nuisance pest; can contaminate food with bacteria and pathogens. Highly beneficial as a model organism in genetic and biological research.