Fruit flies swarm in every orchard during the hot months. They thrive on the fruits that fall premature from the tree. August through October, you can also find them buzzing around any bowl of fruit on your kitchen table. They especially love bananas

1. 058 CULTURE OF FRUIT FLY (Drosophila melanogaster)
FOR GENETIC STUDIES
Fruit flies swarm in every orchard during the hot months. They thrive on the
fruits that fall premature from the tree. August through October, you can
also find them buzzing around any bowl of fruit on your kitchen table. They
especially love bananas.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
glass jar
Glass jar
Cotton wool
Ripe bananas
Ripe bananas Cotton wool

2. The males are smaller than the females and shapes of the abdomens differ.
The abdomen of the male is smaller, more rounded with a black tip.
The abdomen of the female is larger, more pointed and has 4 or 5 black
transverse rings.
Male Female

3. Attract fruit flies by putting over-ripe
fruit in an open container, e.g. a glass
jar. After trapping the fruit flies,
transfer them to small containers
containing fruit chunks, preferably
over-ripe banana. Put a slice of ripe
fruit in the bottom of the container and
make a paper funnel with a hole in the
end to fit the mouth of the container.
Place the container in the open.

4. When six or eight fruit flies have entered (including both males
and females) remove the funnel and plug it loosely with cotton
wool.
Cotton wool

5. Soon eggs will be deposited, and in 2 or
3 days the larvae will hatch. Put a piece
of paper in the container for the larvae
to crawl on when they are ready to
pupate.
Insects emerge from the pupae.
Put newly-hatched fruit flies in another
container to start a new generation.
Young
adults
Larvae
and
pupae

6. Soon eggs will be deposited, and in 2 or
3 days the larvae will hatch. Put a piece
of paper in the container for the larvae
to crawl on when they are ready to
pupate.
Insects emerge from the pupae.
Put newly-hatched fruit flies in another
container to start a new generation.
Young
adults
Larvae
and
pupae