Welcome to the World of Fruit Fly Genetics

This is a *female* fruit fly Notice the tiger-striped abdomen and the simple tag-like tip on the abdomen.

The tip at the end of the female abdomen is the excretory opening. Just proximal to this opening is the female genital opening. Female Genitalia

This is a mature male fruit fly Mature males have a prominent black abdominal end. Males also have tiny “sex combs” on their front pair of legs.

Here’s a close up of the male genital region. Notice the metallic sheen of the genitals.

Find their distinguishing features. One male and one female Find their distinguishing features.

Ventral view of a male and female Find their distinguishing features

Female laying an egg

Notice the relatively larger size and lighter pigmentation of the virgin female as compared with the mature female

and girth. The maximum size of the larval stage is called Tiny fly eggs hatch into tiny worm-like larvae. The larvae eat and grow in length and girth. The maximum size of the larval stage is called the third instar. This larval stage becomes a pupa. Anus This is a third instar larva prior to pupation Mouth

Larva to Pupa Stages Larvae are mobile Pupal stages With the onset of pupation the worm-like larva contracts and a parchment-like pupa case hardens around the metamorphosing fly.

Fly metamorphosis in pupa When the fly emerges from the pupal case the wings are still wet and folded.

When flies are newly hatched their wings are still damp and folded. Is this a male or a female? This is a male. Pigmentation has not developed.