fruit fly

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fruit fly

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.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

fruit fly

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

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

fruit′ fly`

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]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun

fruit fly - any of numerous small insects whose larvae feed on fruits

pomace fly

dipteran, 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 piercing

apple maggot, railroad worm, Rhagoletis pomonella - larvae bore into and feed on apples

Ceratitis capitata, medfly, Mediterranean fruit fly - small black-and-white fly that damages citrus and other fruits by implanting eggs that hatch inside the fruit

drosophila, Drosophila melanogaster - small fruit fly used by Thomas Hunt Morgan in studying basic mechanisms of inheritance

vinegar fly - flies whose larvae feed on pickles and imperfectly sealed preserves

Translations

fruit fly

n → mosca della frutta

Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995

References in periodicals archive ?

Total species richness and fruit fly diversity in 2 municipalities of Guerrero, 2015-2016.

Species diversity and population dynamics of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Guerrero, Mexico

Olive fruit fly (Diptera: Tephritidae) ovipositional preference and larval performance in several commercially important olive varieties in California.

Biological controls investigated to aid management of olive fruit fly in California

Rawalpindi -- Spokesman of Agriculture Department Punjab has said that Fruit fly is harmful for the Guava, Citrus and Mango, jaman etc.

Advisory for fruit fly control

Determination of level of insecticide resistance in fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) by bait bioassay.

Determination of Level of Insecticide Resistance in Fruit Fly, Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) (Diptera: Tephritidae) by Bait Bioassay

Adult longevities (days) of the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis on various food sources.

BIOLOGY AND MORPHOMETRIC OF DIFFERENT LIFE STAGES OF THE ORIENTAL FRUIT FLY (BACTROCERA DORSALIS HENDLE) (DIPTERA: TEPHRITIDAE) ON THREE VARIETIES OF MANGO OF SINDH, PAKISTAN

Only five percent of these neurons retain the uniquely labeled information, but whenever the fruit fly smells the same substance again, these specific neurons are triggered, enabling it to differentiate between different odors.

Analyzing Patterns In Fruit Flies' Brain May Improve Search Algorithms: Research

'Every country is concerned about the fruit fly, and we need to show them their products are safe from it,' he said.

Invasive fruit flies detrimental to Kingdom's mango exports

RAWALPINDI -- - The speakers at a seminar on Fruit Fly Management emphasized that every individual have to pay a due role to root out the causes and cope with fruit flies.

Awareness seminar on Fruit Fly Management held at PMAS-AAUR

JHANG -- The agriculture department is running a campaign against fruit fly in rural areas.

Campaign against fruit fly continues

Occurrence and population dynamics of the fruit fly were compared with meteorological factors, such as temperature, relative humidity and sunshine.

Occurrence and Seasonal Abundance of Fruit Fly, Bactrocera zonata Saunders (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Relation to Meteorological Factors

In their search for sleep-regulating cells, Wu's team used genetic engineering to turn on small numbers of neurons in more than 500 fruit fly strains.