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Fruit Flies Medicate Offspring With Alcohol
Copper Nikus writes "In yet another fascinating example of insects being smarter than we give them credit for, this article describes how fruit flies are able to fight back against deadly wasps by using alcohol. Quoting: 'These wasps lay eggs on the larva or pupa of the flies, and their offspring feed on the animal internally, often killing them in the process. (Flies have larval stages, during which we call them maggots, and pupate just as butterflies do before emerging in their adult form.) Once infected, there isn't much one of the larva can do to get rid of the parasite. Its one option: booze (abstract). Fruit flies, as their name implies, like to dine on fruit, especially during the larval stages. In many cases, that involves ingesting the alcohol that's produced by natural fermentation of rotting fruit (this can approach 20 percent alcohol content). Some species of flies have developed the ability to tolerate this alcohol as they chew through the fruit as maggots. But for most of the wasp species, even moderate levels of alcohol are toxic."
Just like humans.
www.qsopht.com ~q
http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=6E838937-DC3D-D8B6-174A7C59D492E2EA
"alcohol can be toxic" I'd better reduce my intake to 50 beers a day.
I got to the chocolate box before you, that's why the hard ones have teeth marks.
Fruit flies like a Bacardi.
How is this them being 'smarter'?
You live in a neighbourhood where you get mails about the fucking grass being too long, or the ( can't believe this ) "mailbox is mildewed" ?? What police state are you living in ? Make sure you get away from there. Soon you'll get email reminders to change your underpants. The thought police will come soon after that. Man, man, man.
JMS had this figured out years ago with his keeper.
The article doesn't say anything about the hangover this causes the next day.
I medicate offspring with alcohol as well. So far no wasps have laid eggs or whatever in the little buggers.
Pfft. So does my grandmother. Who needs teething gel, anyway? Just use scotch/whiskey.
By the time the fruit fly progeny pass through the larval stage, they've gained the equivalent of a college education.
Isn't the alcohol generated by yeast to keep bacteria at bay to begin with?
Insects can't stand alcohol, I'll drink more when I'm out... just keeping up my insect defenses..
This is what I get for reading Slashdot during lunch. *looks down at couscous and pushes it away*
I fucked your grandmother. Good times. Of course, that was when she was young and pretty. Now-a-days I prefer to fuck younger things. Pity most of them don't appreciate experience...
Also, get off my lawn, damn kids.
But, when I do I choose Dos Equis.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
The crux of the hypothesis is that when there are no wasps around the fruit flies disperse evenly between fresh and fermented fruit but when wasps are around they congregate around the fermented fruit. The article hypothesizes that the reason is that the flies choose the fruit is that they know that wasps do not like alcohol. There is another possibility. That the flies do not like being around the wasps and the wasps do not like being around the alcohol. When a wasp approaches a fly it moves away. Since the wasps will not approach the fermented fruit there is no reason for the flies to move away therefore they congregate around the fermented fruit.
The main thing against choice is that the fly should make the choice whether or not the wasp was present at that moment. If it is a choice the fly should know wasps are around even if not visible at any specific moment and choose the fermented fruit.
I have about 20 apple trees in my property, and I have seen deer and squirrels in purpose eating the fermenting fruit just to get drunk. They put a very good show once they're drunk. Specially the squirrels, I can swear squirrels have a sense of humour.
The larvae's parents have nothing to do with the larval use of alcohol. And the larval use of alcohol is accidental. The fruit fly larvae happen to have a tolerance for the alcohol and the wasp larva don't. They weren't seeking out alcohol. Summary is drivel, and if the quote came from TFA, it's drivel too.
The larvae's parents have nothing to do with the larval use of alcohol.
Not true. It's the larvae don't have the choice here. They eat what's in front of them. The parent is the one that decides where to lay the eggs. If the parent detects wasps, she lays her eggs on the alcohol-laden fruit. If not, she doesn't.
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
and if the quote came from TFA, it's drivel too.
-1, Wrong because he didn't RTFA
You're full of drivel,
as someone else mentioned:
Per TFA, the female fruit flies prefer laying their eggs on alcohol containing food when the killer female wasps are around, but prefer non-alcoholic food when there are no wasps or when only male wasps are around. They can even tell the difference between different species of wasp. That is smarter than some people I know, let me tell you.
This is old news, it appeared several months ago...
...a modest proposal of mine.
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.