The Fruit Fly is a small species of fly beloved by biologists and very popular in genetic studies. This is because she only has four pairs of chromosomes and breeds fast, producing a great many eggs. This does not make her so popular amongst homes, restaurants or orchards, however, where fruit left to spoil can quickly become infested. This individual is a female of the wild type, as it characterised by her red eyes and barred abdomen. She will be mated fairly quickly after emerging from her pupae, and will lay up to 400 eggs, in lots of 5, in rotting vegetative matter. Larvae can reach maturity within 7 days if temperatures are optimal (yes, this does mean that your compost bins, in summer, can quickly become a swarming hive of fruit flies).
No comments:
Post a Comment