Question

The scientific name of fruit fly is:
A. Drosophila melanogaster
B. Musca domestica
C. Homo sapiens
D. Ropalidia marginata

Answer 1

Hint: Drosophila Melanogaster is a species of fly from the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the vinegar fly, or fruit fly. It has been extensively studied for over a century as a model organism for genetic investigation.

Complete answer:
Drosophila is acquired from the Greek word drósos, which means dew loving. They belong to the Dorsophilidae family, also known as fruit flies. The main character of Drosophila is to stay on ripped or rotten fruits. Some species of Drosophila are agricultural pests. They are capable of colonizing live fruits, which are still in the process of ripening and causing massive agricultural damage. This genus is considered a paraphyletic group and the entire group contains more than 1500 species. All the species are different in appearance, breeding habitat and behavior.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Additional Information: 

Fruit fly lifespan is about fifty days from egg until death under optimal growth conditions at $25^\circ C$. The period for the development of D. melanogaster varies with temperature. The minimum time for development from egg to adult is 7 days at $28^\circ C$. Development time increases upto 11 days due to heat stress at $30^\circ C$. Development time increases under crowded conditions, while the emerging fruit flies are smaller in size. Females give about five eggs at a time into the rotten fruits or on other suitable material.

Note: Fruit fly is used for many life extension studies, such as identification of many genes to increase lifespan when mutated. D. melanogaster is also used in studies Werner syndrome. Werner syndrome is a condition in which humans are characterized by accelerated aging. It is caused by mutation in a gene which encodes for a protein which is essential in repair of DNA damage.