# Flying flightless flies



## baba o'riley (May 9, 2010)

I opened a couple of my cultures yesterday and a load of flies flew out. What gives?


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## Bananaslug (Feb 18, 2010)

Got contaminated with wild fruit flies...Just throw em out and start again.


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## D3monic (Feb 8, 2010)

What did you use as a media? If you used any fresh fruit its probably because there was fly eggs in it.


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## baba o'riley (May 9, 2010)

I didn't think melanogaster were native to ireland something for me to check


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## baba o'riley (May 9, 2010)

Apparently they are native to Africa. Can't imagine they'dvsurvive Irish weather


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## ggazonas (May 11, 2008)

If wingless and flightless get mixed together they'll create flyers as well.


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## baba o'riley (May 9, 2010)

All flightless. I read somewhere that if kept too warm the offspring can develop flight. Anyone experienced that?


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## D3monic (Feb 8, 2010)

I have never experianced that but I have heard the same thing.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

baba o'riley said:


> I read somewhere that if kept too warm the offspring can develop flight.


I know it was a PM, but "somewhere" ? 

Anyhow, fruit fly bible: Fruit Fly Culturing, Care and Feeding - Everything you need to know about Drosophila - Frog Forum


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## RecycledAgain (Oct 26, 2008)

We will soon find out ..

I lost my air conditioner in a balmy 95 degree Central Florida record high yesterday, never mind the heat index. I bailed outta work and began the ice cubes ,fans and phone calls. The temp in the house maxed out at 92 Deg. I realized later that my panicked tank temp controls never included my flies..

I figure the flies were at 85 deg for at least 5 hours and quickly ramped up from there,My best guess is 3 or 4 hours at 90 and above.
I personally don't expect fliers , but I'm concerned the the heat has sterilized the wingless fruit flies. I don't expect fliers from what I have read , but my experience should tell.

I did managed to .($4000 later, I still don't know the favors I owe). get a new R-14 unit in last night and 20$ of ice later have the house down to 78 deg.

dan


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Fliers only develop from vestigial winged _D. melanogaster_ - the increased temperature allows a compensation in the normally defective synthesis of a protein. If you're getting flighted _D. melanogaster_ from other mutants, then you need to look for another explanation. Wild _D. melanogaster_ are found all over the world due to international trade in fruits and vegetables, and the fact that the species is a model laboratory animal.

As for sterility - any adult flies you have, Dan, are likely sterile now. If larvae have survived then they should be able to turn into fertile adults.


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## RecycledAgain (Oct 26, 2008)

Johnc,

Thanks for the confirmation of my concern .. I'm tossing out a few Pm's to the locals for help ..
Just in case

Dan


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

> As for sterility - any adult flies you have, Dan, are likely sterile now. If larvae have survived then they should be able to turn into fertile adults.


So, melanogaster and hydei only become sterile if the ADULT flies are subject to temps above 85 degrees? Larvae can be exposed to it and not become sterile? Source of information?


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Rain_Frog said:


> So, melanogaster and hydei only become sterile if the ADULT flies are subject to temps above 85 degrees? Larvae can be exposed to it and not become sterile? Source of information?


I don't have a reference for you, but young larvae do not have fully developed gonads (you can find a ton of references for that aspect just by searching google), so if the warmth incident happens while young larvae are present, they can get by the problem.


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## Okapi (Oct 12, 2007)

Rain_Frog said:


> So, melanogaster and hydei only become sterile if the ADULT flies are subject to temps above 85 degrees? Larvae can be exposed to it and not become sterile? Source of information?


Heat kills sperm cells.... Thats why testicles are often on the outside of mammalian bodies, as opposed to inside the body cavity. Cold blooded animals can thermoregulate to keep their bodies in the 'safe zone' temperature wise, but heated flies trapped in a sealed container cant do this.


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## Rain_Frog (Apr 27, 2004)

John, have you had cultures experience 85+ degrees? Did you seed new cultures with younger flies that were from the larva stage that experienced those temps?


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## tachikoma (Apr 16, 2009)

I have completely stopped buying hydei flies because every single time we get a heatwave I get fliers.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

No, I personally haven't had to do this but I know of others who have. The problem is that it can take weeks to get a small number of adult flies back.



Rain_Frog said:


> John, have you had cultures experience 85+ degrees? Did you seed new cultures with younger flies that were from the larva stage that experienced those temps?


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