Drosophila

Drosophila , from <a href="/facts/Ancient_Greek/LIK7NlUh">Ancient Greek</a> δρόσος (drósos), meaning "dew", and φίλος (phílos), meaning "loving", is a <a href="/facts/Genus/m8EFjSms">genus</a> of <a href="/facts/Fly/ugzGBFKG">fly</a>, belonging to the <a href="/facts/Family_(biology)/qTrn6E8E">family</a> <a href="/facts/Drosophilidae/zN9sTMlD">Drosophilidae</a>, whose members are often called "small fruit flies" or pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit. They should not be confused with the <a href="/facts/Tephritidae/CwA2DJIu">Tephritidae</a>, a related family, which are also called fruit flies (sometimes referred to as "true fruit flies"); tephritids feed primarily on unripe or ripe <a href="/facts/Fruit/PBpuzk60">fruit</a>, with many species being regarded as destructive agricultural pests, especially the <a href="/facts/Mediterranean_fruit_fly/3PXHgHk1">Mediterranean fruit fly</a>.
One species of Drosophila in particular, <a href="/facts/Drosophila_melanogaster/KtnHVCcB">Drosophila melanogaster</a>, has been heavily used in research in <a href="/facts/Genetics/bu8wne0A">genetics</a> and is a common <a href="/facts/Model_organism/vNv6q4yb">model organism</a> in <a href="/facts/Developmental_biology/9dLJhCCv">developmental biology</a>. The terms "fruit fly" and "Drosophila" are often used synonymously with D. melanogaster in modern biological literature. The entire genus, however, contains more than 1,500 species and is very diverse in appearance, behavior, and breeding habitat.

Drosophila open-in-new

Drosophila