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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Flies (Diptera) » "Acalyptratae" » Ephydroidea » Vinegar Flies (Drosophilidae)
Photo#96593
fruit fly?
Copyright © 2007 tom murray

fruit fly?
Groton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA
February 24, 2007
Size: ~3-4mm
There were a few of these dead flies stuck to the walls and ceilings. Any ideas what they are, and why their dead bodies were still clinging to the walls?

Images of this individual: tag all
fruit fly? fruit fly?
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Contributed by tom murray on 26 February, 2007 - 9:47am
Last updated 27 May, 2009 - 2:52pm

Moved
Moved from Unidentified Fungus-ridden Flies. All photos of fungus-ridden insects are being collected here; I'm moving those of known identity to their proper places.
… Charley Eiseman, 27 May, 2009 - 2:52pm login or register to post comments

Drosopohilidae
And as Cheryl indicates, this is a very typical pose for a fly recently killed by a fungus.
… Donald S. Chandler, 26 February, 2007 - 7:05pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from Flies.
… john and jane balaban, 26 February, 2007 - 6:55pm login or register to post comments

Another case of Fly with fungus...
The abdominal segments are separated by some kind of mass, like fungus. These parasitic fungi usually cause the flies to look for a high-spot, as well as make them smell like "ladies". This causes dispersal of the fungus by infecting other males as well as the spores being borne on the wind because the fly was (presumably) up from the ground making it more likely to have wind to disperse the spores.
I could be wrong, but I think I'm right! :-)
… Cheryl Moorehead, 26 February, 2007 - 4:45pm login or register to post comments

 
That explains a lot
Thanks for the help!
… tom murray, 26 February, 2007 - 7:59pm login or register to post comments

 
Ironic
Many Drosophilids feed on fungus, but this one ends up as food for fungus...
… Chuck Entz, 28 February, 2007 - 12:33am login or register to post comments

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