Related topics: genes
Tephritidae
hideBactrocera Ceratitis Paracantha Rhagoletis Tephritis Urophora Euaresta Xyphosia hundreds more
Tephritidae is one of two fly families referred to as "fruit flies". Tephritidae does not include the biological model organisms of the genus Drosophila, which is often called the "common fruit fly". Drosophila is, instead, the type genus of the second "fruit fly" family, Drosophilidae. There are nearly 5,000 described species of tephritid fruit fly, categorized in almost 500 genera. Description, recategorization, and genetic analysis are constantly changing the taxonomy of this family. To distinguish them from the Drosophilidae, the Tephritidae are sometimes called peacock flies.
Tephritid fruit flies are of major importance in agriculture. Some have negative effects, some positive. Various species of fruit fly cause damage to fruit and other plant crops. The genus Bactrocera is of worldwide notoriety for its destructive impact on agriculture. The olive fruit fly (B. oleae), for example, feeds on only one plant: the wild or commercially cultivated olive. It has the capacity to ruin 100% of an olive crop by damaging the fruit. On the other hand, some fruit flies are used as agents of biological control, thereby reducing the populations of pest species. Several species of the fruit fly genus Urophora are questionable in their effectiveness as control agents against rangeland-destroying noxious weeds such as starthistles and knapweeds.
Most fruit flies lay their eggs in plant tissues, where the larvae find their first food upon emerging. The adults usually have a very short lifespan. Some live for less than a week.
Fruit flies use an open circulatory system as their cardiovascular system.
Their behavioral ecology is of great interest to biologists. Some fruit flies have extensive mating rituals or territorial displays. Many are brightly colored and visually showy. Some fruit flies show Batesian mimicry, bearing the colors and markings of dangerous insects such as wasps because it helps the fruit flies to avoid predators; the flies, of course, lack stingers.
For more information about Tephritidae, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with fruit flies
Balancing protein intake, not cutting calories, may be key to long life
Dec 02, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (17) |
5
Getting the correct balance of proteins in our diet may be more important for healthy ageing than reducing calories, new research funded by the Wellcome Trust and Research into Ageing suggests.
'Fly guy' makes memory breakthrough
Dec 10, 2008 |
4.7 / 5 (16) |
0
Dr. Francois Bolduc keeps more than 300,000 fruit flies in a basement laboratory, where he manipulates their genes and then tests their mental abilities. He's called the "fly guy," and he may sound like a ...
Why the thumb of the right hand is on the left hand side
May 22, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (13) |
0
It is the concentration of a few signaling molecules that determines the fate of individual cells during the early development of organisms. In the renowned journal Current Biology, a team of molecular biologists led by Pia ...
100 reasons to change the way we think about genetics
May 18, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (13) |
14
For years, genes have been considered the one and only way biological traits could be passed down through generations of organisms. Not anymore.
Duke team finds compounds that prevent nerve damage
Sep 23, 2008 |
4.8 / 5 (10) |
0
Duke University Medical Center scientists have made a significant finding that could lead to better drugs for several degenerative diseases including Huntington's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Compounds that block the ...
Biological 'Clock' Influences Damage Done by Oxidative Stress
Biology /
Aug 05, 2008 |
4.3 / 5 (10) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Swing shift workers and frequent fliers beware – scientists have identified yet another biological issue that relates to the “circadian clock” found in almost every species from insects to humans, and discovered ...
Dogs, maybe not, but old genes can learn new tricks
May 11, 2009 |
5 / 5 (8) |
2
A popular view among evolutionary biologists that fundamental genes do not acquire new functions was challenged this week by a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fruit-fly study adds weight to theories about another type of adult stem cell
Biology /
Jul 31, 2008 |
4.9 / 5 (7) |
0
It turns out that an old dog - or at least an old fruit-fly cell - can learn new tricks. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that mature, specialized cells naturally regress to serve as a ...
Sleep: Spring cleaning for the brain?
Apr 02, 2009 |
4.1 / 5 (8) |
5
(PhysOrg.com) -- If you've ever been sleep-deprived, you know the feeling that your brain is full of wool.
Evolution of human sex roles more complex than described by universal theory
Apr 24, 2009 |
3.6 / 5 (9) |
6
A new study challenges long-standing expectations that men are promiscuous and women tend to be more particular when it comes to choosing a mate. The research, published by Cell Press in the April issue of the journal Trends in ...
New insights into health and environmental effects of carbon nanoparticles
Nanotechnology / Bio & Medicine
Aug 05, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
2
Carbon nanoparticles are widely used in medicine, electronics, optics, materials science and architecture, but their health and environmental impact is not fully understood.
Researchers discover mechanism that prevents two species from reproducing
Oct 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (6) |
3
Cornell researchers have discovered a genetic mechanism in fruit flies that prevents two closely related species from reproducing, a finding that offers clues to how species evolve.
Absent pheromones turn flies into lusty Lotharios
Oct 14, 2009 |
4.5 / 5 (6) |
1
(PhysOrg.com) -- When Professor Joel Levine's team genetically tweaked fruit flies so that they didn't produce certain pheromones, they triggered a sexual tsunami in their University of Toronto Mississauga ...
Discovery of natural odors could help develop mosquito repellents (w/ Video)
Aug 26, 2009 |
5 / 5 (5) |
0
(PhysOrg.com) -- Entomologists at the University of California, Riverside working on fruit flies in the lab have discovered a novel class of compounds that could pave the way for developing inexpensive and ...
Blocking protein may help ease painful nerve condition
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Mar 15, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (5) |
0
Scientists have identified the first gene that pulls the plug on ailing nerve cell branches from within the nerve cell, possibly helping to trigger the painful condition known as neuropathy.
