Fruit Fly
Contact: Eric Day, Manager, Insect Identification Laboratory
August 1996
Fruit Fly
Size
The adult flies are very small insects, about 1/8 inch long (3mm)
Color
Body color is usually a light yellow to tan color
Description
Fruit flies are weak fliers. The thorax is tan and the abdomen
is gray underneath and black on top. A feathery bristle is on
the antenna. A distinguishing feature is their red eyes.
Habitat
With the end of the summer season, many homeowners often
encounter fruit flies in and about their kitchens and near
garbage storage areas.
They are generally found hovering around decaying vegetation and
overripe fruit. These pesky insects are often found in the
kitchen, especially when vegetable or fruit materials are present
after major home canning efforts.
Life Cycle
Female fruit flies lay their eggs on the surface of rotting
fruit. These eggs hatch into larvae, which molt twice before
becoming full grown. Fruit fly larvae feed on the yeast
organisms and fungi growing in the fruit and vegetable materials,
and through their feeding efforts, they soon turn their food into
a semi-liquid mess. When the full grown larvae are ready to
pupate, they leave the rotten fruit for drier areas, usually to
the sides of the garbage can. The time required to complete one
life cycle is mainly dependent on the temperature of the growth
medium and surrounding air; at 64 degrees Fahrenheit, it takes
18-20 days for growth from the egg stage to adult, while at 77
degrees Fahrenheit, only 8-10 days are required to complete the
stages of development.
Type of Damage
Pests around garbage cans or kitchen fruits and vegetables
Control
Should fruit flies become abundant, a careful search for the
larval breeding areas should be made by the homeowner. Removal
of any overripe fruit or vegetable materials should alleviate any
recurrence of these insects. Any lingering adult flies in the
kitchen may be destroyed via the judicious use of a fly swatter
or an aerosol spray.
Interesting Facts
These flies have been vital to the study and understanding of
genetics.