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Fruit FliesFruit Flies (Drosophila melanogaster)
Fruit flies are about 1/8 inch long, around the same size as a house fly. They generally have red eyes, have a tan front portion and black rear portion of their bodies, and are recognized by the dark bands or spots on their wings.
Found throughout the world, they are attracted to ripened or rotting fruits and vegetables and are most common in the late summer and fall.
Females lay eggs throughout their three week lifespan on and near the surface of rotting fruits. The life cycle – egg to adult – is complete in about one week. Fruit flies and larvae feed on and near the surface of fermenting fruit mass, so damaged portions of fruit can be cut away and not discarded for fear of finding larvae elsewhere within the fruit.
They are primarily a nuisance pest, but can sometimes transmit bacteria and other disease causing organisms to food.
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