Common name : Vinegar fly
Scientific name : Drosophila melanogaster
Family : Drosophilidae
Native to : Worldwide Distribution
Interesting fact : Since almost 75% of the human disease genes match the genome of the vinegar fly, these flies are also used as genetic models for the testing of many diseases.
Yellow-brown in colour, the vinegar flies are about 2.5 mm in length. Females lay the eggs in rotting fruits or other such decaying items, like mushrooms. After hatching the larvae feed on not only the fruit itself but also on the micro-organisms that cause the decay of the fruit. After this fly has fed itself, it encapsulates itself and emerges 4 days later as an adult.
