View synonyms for fruit fly

fruit fly

noun

any of numerous small dipterous insects of the family Tephritidae, the larvae of which feed on the fruit of various plants.
vinegar fly.
drosophila.

fruit fly

any small dipterous fly of the family Trypetidae , which feed on and lay their eggs in plant tissues See also gallfly
any dipterous fly of the genus Drosophila See drosophila

First recorded in 1745–55

Everyone has a mosquito story they want to tell her—not like when she was studying drosophila, the fruit fly.

The most extensive and conclusive experiments along this line are those by Morgan on the fruit fly Drosophila.

Fruits are especially likely to be infected by the small fruit fly commonly found around markets and stands.

Again, a mutant stock in the fruit fly (Drosophila) has as its most marked characteristic very short wings.

The earlier ripening fruit usually escapes damage from fruit fly, but the late fruit often suffers considerably.

Many kinds of pears do well, but, unfortunately, this fine fruit is very liable to be attacked by fruit fly.

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