# When do wingless/flightless FF's start to revert back to flying?



## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

From my understanding flightless mels will revert back to flying if temperatures are too high. I've looked through quite a few threads on this and can't seem to find an exact temperature or which FF's will revert back with their offspring starting to fly.

So the questions.
1. What is the temperature will they revert back to flying? Anything in the 80's In the 90's what exactly.

2. Do mels or hydei revert back or both?

3. Is it just the flightless mels (or hydei) rather than the wingles mels that will revert back.

I'm asking because I bought a heater for the bug room which will help immensely with the mealworms, crickets, mantids, waxworms and other insects that will thrive and grow faster at high temps. Otherwise it's about 71F during the day maybe 73F if I'm lucky and drops to almost 65F at night. Not ideal temps at all for raising insects unless I'm going to wait 4 months for my crickets and etc. to fully grow. Since hot air rises it stays a good 78F or less near the bottom of the room, but raises to almost 83F when you go 3.5 to 4 feet up.

Thank you, Jeff


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## npaull (May 8, 2005)

For all feeder strains of which I am aware, flightlessness and/or winglessness are genetic traits which do not require a specific temperature range to be expressed (or fail to be expressed, depending on how you look at it). They will not spontaneously reappear on you without the introduction of new genetic material.


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## PeanutbuttER (Jan 1, 2011)

I've heard of this, with the flightless (not wingless) flies. From what I understand the mutation causing them to be flightless is because of a protein-folding abnormality. Once temperature gets high enough the proteins "breath" and re-fold properly and they can start flying again. If it's a wingless fly, then temps should never be a problem.

However, I'm not sure if they pass flight on to their offspring like wild type drosophila would nor am I sure what temps would be required for this. I vaguely recollect hearing around 90F but someone else would have more specific information.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

Thanks guys.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Im gonna explain this three ways because ive found that its a hard subject to explain to nonbiology majors...

The protein isnt formed in the right configuration for wing use due to a defective gene in the flightless flies. However, that protein forms correctly at higher temperatures, allowing them to fly. The fliers produced from this circumstance are still genetically flightless, so any offspring they produce with other genetically flightless flies would result in flightless flies if their flight proteins are manufactured in lower temps. The wingless fruit flies dont have wings, so that flightless protein mutation doesnt affect them either way. Breaking/fixing the motor of an airplane doesnt matter if the airplane has no wings.

Imagine one of the belts in your car that allows a function to be performed. Now imagine that that belt becomes kinked and doesnt allow that function to occur if the car is built in 75 degree weather. If built in 90 degree weather, the belt is able to be straightened out and allows its function to be performed. Proteins are like that. Their shape allows things to happen. Under different conditions while being constructed, they form into different shapes. 

Akin to coal, diamonds, and graphite all being pure carbon, just formed in different conditions so they have different properties. A coal engagement ring wouldnt impress, and a diamond pencil wouldnt write. Change the conditions that they are made (different amounts of heat and pressure) and their function changes.


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## packer43064 (Nov 30, 2010)

Thanks. Appreciate it.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

No problem, I love talking about biology


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