Wild type fruit flies are yellow-brown, with brick-red eyes and transverse black rings across the abdomen. The brick-red color of the eyes of the wild type fly are due to two pigments: xanthommatin, which is brown and is … See more

D. melanogaster remains one of the most studied organisms in biological research, particularly in genetics and developmental biology. It is also employed in studies of environmental … See more

Drosophila is one of the few animals (C. elegans being another) where detailed neural circuits (a connectome) are available.
A high-level … See more

Drosophila flies have both X and Y chromosomes, as well as autosomes. Unlike humans, the Y chromosome does not confer … See more

Under optimal growth conditions at 25 °C (77 °F), the D. melanogaster lifespan is about 50 days from egg to death. The developmental period for D. melanogaster varies with … See more

The genome of D. melanogaster (sequenced in 2000, and curated at the FlyBase database ) contains four pairs of chromosomes – an … See more

The life cycle of this insect has four stages: fertilized egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Embryogenesis in Drosophila has been extensively studied, as its small size, short generation time, and large brood size makes it ideal for … See more