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Vinegar Fly larva
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Common Name: Vinegar Fly - larva
See also: adult | damage

Scientific Name: Drosophilidae: Drosophila spp.

Status: nuisance pest of homes and restaurants

Damaging Stage: larval and adult

Biology: Vinegar flies are small (1/10 inch), delicate flies. They have red eyes, are yellow-brown in color, and have transverse black rings across their abdomen. The seldom seen larvae are cream-colored, lack a sclerotized (hard) head capsule, and have a tapered head and extended, fleshy tubes on the last body segment.

Vinegar flies are most often found flying about ripening fruit, clogged drains, or dirty garbage cans where they mate and lay eggs. Populations build up very quickly. The time required to complete one life cycle ranges from eight to twenty days. They may complete from ten to thirteen generations per year.