What Can Fruit Flies Tell Us About an Environment?

Abstract

Fruit flies are very small flies. When people find them in their kitchens, they are often annoyed. However, fruit flies can tell us about what is happening in nature. Some fruit flies are native to an area, whereas others have been introduced by people. When a place is in its natural state, native species of fruit flies are abundant. When a place has been changed, for example, by the construction of lots of buildings, invasive species of fruit flies are found. Fruit flies are an indicator species that can tell us about how land use has changed.