FRUIT FLY

Identification, Facts, & Control

Latin Name

Drosophila spp.

Appearance

Small yellow to orange with red eyes

Fruit flies (also known as vinegar flies, pomac flies or drosophila and not to be confused with the Mediterranean fruit fly) are very small flies (about one—fourth inch long) found around decaying vegetation and fruit. This group of flies is a large one and many species are very common.

Fruit flies are generally yellowish-brown in color and frequently have red eyes. They are small enough to pass through window and door screens and are therefore, common pests in homes, restaurants, fruit markets and canneries containing over ripe or processed fruits. They are also attracted to open bottles or spills of wine, beer and vinegar found in bars.

Fruit flies typically lay their eggs on or near the surface of overripe or rotting fruits and vegetables. The larvae develop within these materials. However, when fully grown, the larvae move to drier environments to pupate.

The female fruit fly lays 400 to 1,000 eggs which hatch in one day. Development from egg to adult takes eight to eleven days. These flies are abundant in and around garbage cans where they cause little or no trouble. However, they also occur around fruit stands in markets and especially over ripe bananas.

Because of their very short life cycle and therefore, the large number of generations of adults produced each year, these flies are sometimes used in high school biology classes in experiments on genetics.

Click on a species of flies below to learn further information.