Fruit Fly Facts

• Species: Drosophila melanogaster 
• Name: Vinegar flies
• Color: Yellow-brown
• Appearance: Red eyes and black rings along the abdomen

Fruit Fly Social Behavior

Fruit flies are widely used for biological research because they breed quickly and are easy to sustain. Notable for high egg counts and a fast reproduction cycle, a female lays around 400 eggs into rotting or decaying fruit or other material such as mushrooms. The eggs hatch within 12-15 hours with total development time averaging 8.5 days. Under crowded conditions the development time shortens significantly making an infestation occur quickly.