Wild Type Characteristics of Fruit Flies
Fruit flies have several characteristics that help you identify them. Their bodies are light brown and their wings are long. They also have red eyes. Some species have four chromosome pairs, and others have one pair for each sex. In addition, each chromosome has two arms and features a recombination pattern, indicating where the particular genes are located.
Drosophila melanogaster is a member of the Tephritidae family of insects. It is an important pest in the Mediterranean region and an economic pest in Australia. It has a highly complex reproductive learning curve, which enables it to change its behaviour in future mating attempts and decreases courtship times.
Male and female fruit flies have red eyes. This is due to a genetic mutation in the pteridine pathway. In contrast, a female fly with a white eye crosses with a red-eyed male fly, and all the females resulting from the cross will be red-eyed.
Fruit flies are easily obtained in the wild. There are many companies that sell culture material and supplies for fruit fly cultivation. Most of the equipment is inexpensive and reusable. The flies are small and easy to handle. Most can be anesthetized and handled individually. They are also highly sexually dimorphic, so getting a virgin is a very easy process.
Observations of fruit flies have led to the discovery of several genetic mutations that affect fruit fly behavior. These mutations affect several genes in the fly’s brain. One of these genes is called cVA, which is responsible for producing a pheromone that regulates the fly’s activity. In the wild, cVA-producing flies show a 24-hour rhythm, while the mutants exhibit a broken or erratic activity rhythm.