Fruit Fly

In terms of professional recommendation and risk, how is the fruit fly categorized?

• Professional recommended: high; Risk level: high.
• Professional recommended: contextual; Risk level: low. ✓
• Professional recommended: rarely; Risk level: nuisance.
• Professional recommended: sanitation; Risk level: low.

Answer: Professional Recommended: rarely; sanitation usually resolves it... Risk Level: low... Treatment Recommended: contextual.

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Which environmental conditions are associated with the cessation of egg-laying in fruit flies?

• Temperatures below 54°F or above approximately 91°F. ✓
• Temperatures below 40°F or above 100°F.
• Temperatures below 60°F or above 85°F.
• Temperatures below 50°F or above 95°F.

Answer: UC IPM notes egg-laying stops below about 54°F and above about 91°F, with development best in the low 80s°F.

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How does the Spotted Wing Drosophila (*Drosophila suzukii*) differ from other vinegar flies in its egg-laying habits?

• It lays eggs only in fermenting residue in drains.
• Its larvae feed on the skins of unripe fruit only.
• Its females lay eggs in ripe, undamaged fruit rather than only in rotting material. ✓
• It does not produce larvae; it reproduces via parthenogenesis.

Answer: Unlike its relatives, its females lay eggs in ripe, undamaged fruit rather than only in rotting material.

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Which of the following describes the larval stage of the fruit fly?

• Small, dark-colored organisms with a forked tail.
• Pale, whitish maggots with a dark mouthpart at the head and a small forked breathing tube at the tail. ✓
• Brownish, tiny organisms that feed on undamaged fruit.
• Dark-colored organisms that feed on the water film in drains.

Answer: The larvae are pale, whitish maggots with a small forked breathing tube at the tail and dark mouthparts at the head, found in or beside the spoiling fruit they grew up in.

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When inspecting for an active fruit fly infestation, what is the most reliable way to confirm a breeding source is present?

• Observing adults in erratic, hovering flight near trash.
• Finding pale maggots in or on soft, damaged, or fermenting fruit. ✓
• Seeing a sudden indoor swarm of flies near a kitchen counter.
• Noting the presence of flies in a clean-looking drain.

Answer: Pale maggots in or on soft, damaged, or fermenting fruit confirm an active breeding source rather than a stray adult passing through.

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According to UC IPM data, how does the lifespan and egg output of the strawberry vinegar fly change in cooler temperatures?

• Lifespan shortens and egg output increases.
• Lifespan lengthens to 20 to 30 days and egg output decreases. ✓
• Lifespan remains 7 to 8 days but egg output increases to 800.
• Egg-to-adult development slows, but egg output remains at 500.

Answer: UC IPM's strawberry vinegar fly data puts egg output higher at 700 to 800 over a lifespan of about 7 to 8 days in summer, lengthening to 20 to 30 days when cooler.

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According to the provided text, what is the primary recommended method for controlling a fruit fly problem?

• The use of pyrethrins to knock down adult populations.
• The application of traps to lower fly numbers.
• Sanitation and the removal of the breeding source. ✓
• Frequent use of insecticides to suppress abundance.

Answer: The fix is almost always sanitation, not spray... a pest usually managed by cleaning out the breeding material, not by chemicals.

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Which of the following is a key morphological difference between vinegar flies (Family Drosophilidae) and true fruit flies (Family Tephritidae)?

• Vinegar flies have red eyes, while true fruit flies have black eyes.
• True fruit flies have larvae that feed inside undamaged fruit and are larger, near 1/4 inch. ✓
• Vinegar flies are larger, measuring up to 1/4 inch in length.
• True fruit flies only breed in drains, while vinegar flies breed in fruit.

Answer: UC IPM gives a distinction that vinegar flies mostly leave sound fruit alone, while true fruit flies have larvae that feed inside undamaged fruit and run larger, near 1/4 inch (6 mm) versus 2 to 3 mm.

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