
Community identification
Fruit fly (specifically Vinegar fly)
Drosophila melanogaster
- Order & Family
- Order: Diptera, Family: Drosophilidae
- Size
- 3 to 4 mm (1/8th inch) in length
Natural Habitat
Near ripening or fermenting fruits and vegetables, trash cans, and drains
Diet & Feeding
Larvae eat decaying organic matter and yeast; adults feed on the liquids of fermenting fruits
Behavior Patterns
Attracted to the smell of fermentation; high reproductive rate with life cycles completing in about a week
Risks & Benefits
Primarily a nuisance pest; can contaminate food with bacteria and pathogens, but highly valuable in genetic research