Drosophilidae

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Drosophilidae
Lordiphosa andalusiaca
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Superfamily: Ephydroidea
Family: Drosophilidae
Rondani, 1856
Subfamily

The Drosophilidae are a diverse,

behaviour. Many fundamental biological mechanisms were discovered first in D. melanogaster.[2] The fruit fly is mostly composed of post-mitotic cells, has a very short lifespan, and shows gradual aging. As in other species, temperature influences the life history of the animal. Several genes have been identified that can be manipulated to extend the lifespan of these insects. Additionally, Drosophila subobscura, also within the genus Drosophila, has been reputed as a model organism for evolutionary-biological studies,[3] along with D. sechellia for the evolution of host specialization on the toxic noni fruit[4] and Scaptomyza flava for the evolution of herbivory and specialist on toxic mustard leaves.[5]

Economic significance

Generally, drosophilids are considered to be nuisance flies rather than pests, since most species breed in rotting material. Zaprionus indianus is unusual among Drosophilidae species in being a serious, primary pest of at least one commercial fruit, figs in Brazil.[6] Another species, Drosophila suzukii, infests thin-skinned fruit such as raspberries and cherries and can be a serious agricultural pest.[7] The leaf mining Scaptomyza flava, which is nested in the genus Drosophila phylogenetically, is an obligate leaf miner of mustard plants, including the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana[5] and is a major pest of salad brassicas in New Zealand and an emerging pest of canola in the UK.[8] Drosophila repleta larvae inhabit drains and spread bacteria. Fruit flies in general are considered as a common vector in propagating acetic acid bacteria[9] in nature. This often ruins the alcohol fermentation process and can ruin beer or wine by turning it into vinegar. There are sinking traps available on the market for this nuisance, but one quick way to strongly limit the extent of it is to vacuum clean the flies both at rest and in their slow flight.

Identification

The diagnostic characteristics for Drosophilidae include the presence of an incomplete

ISBN 0-12-473052-3 or "Drosophila: A Laboratory Handbook" by M. Ashburner
, K. Golic, S. Hawley, (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 2005).

Anti-parasitic behavior

Of their many defenses against parasites, when Drosophila melanogaster flies see female larval endoparasitoid wasps, they switch to laying their eggs in alcohol-laden food sources such as rotting fruit. Doing so protects the flies from becoming host to the larvae, as the wasps have a low alcohol tolerance. This oviposition behavior change only occurs upon seeing the female wasp larva and does not take place in the presence of the male wasp larva.[10]

Mutualism

There is evidence to support that pathogens living within certain flies are beneficial to the behavior and survival of the host. One such example of this is in the fly Scaptomyza flava, which carries the pathogen Pseudomonas syringae in exchange for the pathogen damaging the anti-herbivore defenses of main food source for the fly, plants in the family Brassicaceae.[11]

Phylogeny

The family contains more than 4,000 species classified under 75 genera. Recently, a comprehensive phylogenetic classification of the genera based on both molecular and morphological characters has been published.[12]

  • Close-up of fruit fly proboscis
    Close-up of fruit fly proboscis
  • Front view
    Front view
  • Drosophilidae compound eye
    Drosophilidae compound eye

References

  1. OCLC 74908130
    .
  2. OCLC 1034915732
    .
  3. ^ Krimbas, C.B. & Loukas,M.(1980) Inversion Polymorphism of Drosophila subobscura Evol.Biol.12,163-234.
  4. ^ Jones, Corbin D., "The genetics of adaptation in Drosophila sechellia", Georgia Genetics Review III, Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, pp. 137–145, retrieved 2021-12-18
  5. ^
    PMC 3062943
    .
  6. ^ "Pest Alerts - Zaprionus indianus Gupta, DPI". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Archived from the original on 2013-10-12. Retrieved 2013-10-05.
  7. ^ Drosophila suzukii Center of Invasive Species Research
  8. ISSN 0301-4223
    .
  9. ISBN 978-88-470-0865-6
  10. PMID 23430653
    .
  11. PMID 26205072
    .
  12. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2012.00665.x
    .

External links

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