fruit fly

n.1. Any of various small flies of the family Drosophilidae, having larvae that feed on fermenting or decaying plant material, especially the common species Drosophila melanogaster, often used in genetic research. Also called pomace fly, vinegar fly.2. Any of various flies of the family Tephritidae, having larvae that hatch in plant tissue and are pests of fruit and vegetable crops.3. Offensive Slang A woman who enjoys socializing with gay men.

fruit fly

n 1. (Animals) any small dipterous fly of the family Trypetidae, which feed on and lay their eggs in plant tissues. See also gallfly 2. (Animals) any dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila. See drosophila

fruit′ fly`

n. 1. any of numerous small, black or steely green flies of the family Tephritidae, whose eggs are deposited in fruit for the larvae to feed on after hatching. 2. Also called drosophila. any of numerous similar yellowish flies of the family Drosophilidae, which feed on the yeasts of fermenting fruit used in laboratory studies. [1745–55]

Thesaurus

Noun

fruit fly - any of numerous small insects whose larvae feed on fruitspomace flydipteran, dipteron, dipterous insect, two-winged insects - insects having usually a single pair of functional wings (anterior pair) with the posterior pair reduced to small knobbed structures and mouth parts adapted for sucking or lapping or piercingapple maggot, railroad worm, Rhagoletis pomonella - larvae bore into and feed on applesCeratitis capitata, medfly, Mediterranean fruit fly - small black-and-white fly that damages citrus and other fruits by implanting eggs that hatch inside the fruitdrosophila, Drosophila melanogaster - small fruit fly used by Thomas Hunt Morgan in studying basic mechanisms of inheritancevinegar fly - flies whose larvae feed on pickles and imperfectly sealed preserves

Translations

fruit fly

fruit fly,

common name for any of the fliesfly,
name commonly used for any of a variety of winged insects, but properly restricted to members of the order Diptera, the true flies, which includes the housefly, gnat, midge, mosquito, and tsetse fly.
..... Click the link for more information. of the families Tephritidae and Drosophilidae. All fruit flies are very small insectsinsect,
invertebrate animal of the class Insecta of the phylum Arthropoda. Like other arthropods, an insect has a hard outer covering, or exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed legs. Adult insects typically have wings and are the only flying invertebrates.
..... Click the link for more information. that lay their eggs in various plant tissues. The Tephritidae contains about 1,200 species characterized by wide heads, black or steely green or blue bodies, iridescent greenish eyes, and wings that are usually mottled brown or black. The eggs of most species are laid directly in the pulp of the fruit on which the larvae feed; in North America, blueberries, cherries, and apples are much damaged by these insects. In warm regions, the Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, was a serious pest of citrus fruits; it has now been eradicated from the S United States. Some species, e.g., the goldenrod gall fly, Eurosta solidaginis, which deposits its eggs in species of goldenrod, lay their eggs in plants of no economic importance. The Drosophilidae, or pomace flies, are yellowish and in the wild are largely found around decaying vegetation. The larvae living in fruit actually feed on the yeasts growing in the fruit. Drosophila melanogaster, also called vinegar fly, is a much used laboratory insect; its 10-day life cycle and large chromosomes, particularly those of the salivary glands of the larva, have made it invaluable in the study of geneticsgenetics,
scientific study of the mechanism of heredity. While Gregor Mendel first presented his findings on the statistical laws governing the transmission of certain traits from generation to generation in 1856, it was not until the discovery and detailed study of the
..... Click the link for more information. . Fruit flies are classified in the phylum ArthropodaArthropoda
[Gr.,=jointed feet], largest and most diverse animal phylum. The arthropods include crustaceans, insects, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, scorpions, and the extinct trilobites.
..... Click the link for more information. , class Insecta, order Diptera, families Tephritidae and Drosophilidae.

fruit fly

[′früt ‚flī] (invertebrate zoology) The common name for those acalypterate insects composing the family Tephritidae. Any insect whose larvae feed on fruit or decaying vegetable matter.

fruit fly

1. any small dipterous fly of the family Trypetidae, which feed on and lay their eggs in plant tissues 2. any dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila

fruit fly

noun

Synonyms for fruit fly

noun any of numerous small insects whose larvae feed on fruits

Synonyms

pomace fly

Related Words

dipteran
dipteron
dipterous insect
two-winged insects
apple maggot
railroad worm
Rhagoletis pomonella
Ceratitis capitata
medfly
Mediterranean fruit fly
drosophila
Drosophila melanogaster
vinegar fly