Cannibal fruit flies?

[Ekaj13]

So I started some FF cultures the other day. For the medium I used potato flakes, a very ripe banana, and a little sugar. Mixed it all together and put it in cups. I made one mistake and mixed the yeast into the mush also. Now it looks like there are gas pockets in the medium.

Looks like my guys are producing, there are a lot of maggots. However I was watching them and noticed something odd. There are some fruit flies with a very distended abdomen, which I assume are the producing females. These are getting chased by other FFs around the container by FFs that do not appear swollen. When they get caught it looks like they are feeding on their rear end. Do FFs lay eggs or maggots? Do other FFs eat these? It doesn't appear to be affecting production, there are a ton of little maggots!

Jake

 

[Ekaj13]

I googled it and found they lay eggs. I'm wondering if I am missing some ingredient to their diet... I have read about roaches eating other roaches of the same species' babies.

 

[PhilinYuma]

It sounds as though you have a good ff medium. Don't worry about the gas bubbles, but next time, let the mix sit overnight before potting it and give a final stir to remove the bubbles. The good news is that FFs are spit and sip feeders, so they can only ingest what they can dissolve in their own spit ("fly specks") and suck up through their proboscis.

What you are seeing is "the naughty stuff" that you describe really well. And here it is on video:

 

[packer43064]

I suggest some brewers yeast in your medium. Good source of protein and will make your flies production even greater.

 

[Ekaj13]

Ahah. Fruit fly oral sex... I had no idea... Thanks Phil

 

[hibiscusmile]

:blink:

 

[warpdrive]

Ahah. Fruit fly oral sex... I had no idea... Thanks Phil

:blink:

Harry

 

[ismart]

No worries they are just making sure the fruit is ripe! :lol:

 

[lancaster1313]

:lol: