Vinegar flies (Drosophila melanogaster)

Vinegar flies, also inaccurately called fruit flies, are in the family Drosophilidae.  While there are true fruit flies that feed on growing fruit, Drosophila feed on rotting fruit, or more accurately on the yeast and bacteria growing on the rotting fruit.  They are short-lived insects with a two week life cycle.  Eggs hatch in one day, larvae spend two days in their first instar, four days in their second instar, and two days in their third larval instar before molting into pupae.  It takes four days for an adult to emerge from its pupal stage, and adults are ready to mate 24 hours later.  Adults can live two to three weeks, and females can lay several hundred eggs during this time. 

Availability: These need to be ordered and will be available after spring break.

Housing: Drosophila do not need much room, a test tube or other skinny vial will be fine.  Keep your colony at 77 degrees F.

Food: You can feed your fruit flies a mixture of banana mush, oatmeal, and yeast; or we can provide you with Drosophila diet to feed them.