Fruit Flies (Drosophila spp)
Characteristics
Adults 2mm long; 3 to 4mm wingspan; Fat bulbous body, greyish yellow; Large often orange eyes; Simple wing venation; Feathery antennae; Cross striped abdomen;
Life-Cycle
700 to 800 eggs laid at 20 to 25 per day in the foodstuff for the hatching larvae. Larvae have 3 moults and they migrate to pupate. The egg to adult stage can be as short as 8 days at 30oc.
Significance
Fruit flies are attracted to a varied diet including sour milk, rotting and fermenting fruit e.g. grapes and bananas, fruit juices, tomatoes and dried fruits.
As a result they are found in the vicinity of vinegar factories, breweries, dried fruit washing plants, tomato processors, fruit drink producers and warehouses where spillage has occurred.