Slashdot Mirror
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."
Only when they go to Applebees.
"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.
JMS had this figured out years ago with his keeper.
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.
But, when I do I choose Dos Equis.
I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
"mailbox is mildewed"
That mailbox has to be handled by a mailman every weekday who may deal with hundreds of mailboxes. Mold and mildew release spores that can spread from mailbox to mailbox transported by the mailman, The mailman himself may inhale those spores, become infected, become ill and, depending on the fungus, possibly die. If it was only effecting the mail box owner then rant on but in this case it could effect many others.
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.
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 ?
Google "home owners association". Imagine that you think you're buying a great home in Japan, only to find out later that it's really North Korea and you've peronally insulted Kim Jong Un.
That's what an HOA is like -- living under the thumb of a tyrannical tin-pot dictator who doesn't like you or the specific shade of your roofing shingles.
Required reading for internet skeptics
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!
Only when they go to Applebees.
They don't serve minors at Applebees. Not that I've seen anyway.
Well, they're not on the menu, but if you know anyone on the kitchen staff just tell them you want the "special veal".
I see even classic Slashdot is now pretty much unusable on dial up anymore.