Fruit Flies (D. melanogaster & D. hydei)
Description
D. melanogaster and D. hydei are both flightless fruit flies that are a common staple of smaller animals, such as dart frogs. D. melanogaster is lighter in color and smaller, being 1/10 inch (2.5 mm) in size. At 70 F (21 C) the flies will reach adulthood in approximately 14 days. An adult female can lay 500 eggs in 10 days.
D. hydei is darker in color and has red eyes. The size of D. hydei is approximately 1/8 inch (3.5 mm). The maturation period is approximately 28 days.
Fruit flies are easily obtained from the wild and most biological companies carry a variety of different forms. In addition, these companies sell the required items in order to culture the flies. Costs are relatively low and most equipment can be used multiple times.
Pricing
$15.00 per culture
$15.00 per culture
He that takes medicine and neglects diet wastes the skills of the physician.
~Chinese Proverb
More Information...
Scientific Name: Drosophila Sp.
Common Name(s): Flightless Fruit Flies
Size: 2.5mm (melanogaster) 3.5mm (hydei)
Care
D. melanogaster undergoes complete metamorphism, meaning the life cycle includes an egg, larval (worm-like) form, pupa and finally emergence as a flying adult. The larval stage has three instars, or molts.
Life cycle by day
Day 0: Female lays eggs
Day 1: Eggs hatch
Day 2: First instar (one day in length)
Day 3: Second instar (one day in length)
Day 5: Third and final instar (two days in length)
Day 7: Larvae begin roaming stage. Pupariation (pupal formation) occurs 120 hours after egg laying
Day 11-12: Eclosion (adults emerge from the pupa case). Females become sexually mature 8-10 hours after eclosion
- ·The time from egg to adult is temperature- dependent. The above cycle is for a temperature range of 21-23 degrees C. The higher the temperature, the faster the generation time, whereas a lower (to 18 degrees C) temperature causes a longer generation time.
- ·Females can lay up to 100 eggs/day.
- ·Virgin females are able to lay eggs; however they will be sterile and few in number.
After the eggs hatch, small larvae should be visible in the growing medium. If your media is white, look for the black area at the head of the larvae. Some dried premixed media is blue to help identify larvae however this is not a necessity and with a little patience and practice, larvae are easily seen. In addition, as the larvae feed they disrupt the smooth surface of the media and so by looking only at the surface one can tell if larvae are present. After the third instar, larvae will begin to migrate up the culture vial in order to pupate.
There are a variety of types of food available for the flies; some require cooking and others are bought already prepared and dehydrated. The dehydtrated medium must be completely rehydrated for best results, since this is the only water source for adults and larvae.
Cooked media can be stored in a refrigerator for several weeks. Be sure to allow media to warm to room temperature before adding flies. Do not allow media to dry out. Media should fill the culture vial, bottle or vial 1/5th to 2/5th full. Keep the media out overnight to cure, being sure to completely cover the vials with cloth to keep flies from laying eggs in them. The next day, add yeeast and plugs. Refrigerate any unused media vials. Unused media can last up to two weeks.
Media Recipe
The "Power Mix"
By Chis Miller
The following was posted by Chris Miller of Littleton Co on FrogNet on May 8, 2000.
I have been using a mixture of potato flakes, sugar, and Fleischman's activated yeast for years now. But, after adding a lot of mouths to feed to my collection, I had decided I was going to have to find something that made a lot more flies per jar. With input from a lot of different sources (Dave and Erin, Tracy Hicks, Jutti,) etc , I have composed a mush that has QUADRUPLED my fly production. I have had very little problem with mold, and the cultures seem to last for at least a month or longer.
In a pot bring the following to a boil.
2 cups water
2 cups vinegar
1/8th cup Dark molasses
1/2 can of grape juice concentrate
2-3 overripe mushed up bananas
After bringing this mixture to a boil, add the dry material
1/2 cup malt of meal
2/3 cup potato flakes
1/3 cup Brewers Yeast (the key ingredient)
Place about 2 inches of medium in each qt size jar, and sprinkle about an 1/8th teaspoon of activated yeast on the top. A day later, 20-30 flies are added.
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