Flightless FF flying?

[Synapze]

For the last few feedings I've had flies fly out when I open the culture. I doubt very seriously that the hydei flies developed the ability to fly, but could there be another explanation? The problem in the culture seems to be increasing. I'll not use this one to seed additional cultures. 

 

[ausar318]

Usually this means that a wild fruit fly made its way into the culture. I had this happen with a culture recently, and I was very careful to not use it to make new ones. The problem died with the culture ?. You can still obviously use it for food, that’s what I did. 

The only other thing that could have happened, I guess, is that a single fly mutated and gained flight. And since flight is the dominant gene, you are now getting heterozygous flies with the ability to fly. AAGH! I can’t even escape biology (my major) here on the forum! 

Honestly, though, the first one is far more likely

 

[Synapze]

AAGH! I can’t even escape biology (my major) here on the forum! 

Thank goodness you can't escape! We need more biologists on the forum. ?

 

[MantisGirl13]

I have the same problem with one of my ff cultures! I am pretty sure a regular fruit fly made its way into the culture, because we always have a ton of fruit flies (uninvited) in our house!

- MantisGirl13

 

[Mantis Lady]

the culture i have now has gladly no flying fruitflies yet, But i have seen flying ones (one banana started to overipe)  if they were excapees of my fruitfly culture I dont know.

 

[cwebster]

There are always a few, no matter where i purchase my cultures from. 

 

[hysteresis]

I'm still on my first ever hydei culture.

None fly, but they sure jump like theyre on fire!

Is this flying problem mainly with melanogasters?

 

[Synapze]

None fly, but they sure jump like theyre on fire!

Is this flying problem mainly with melanogasters?

This was a purchased hydei culture and the problem seems to be isolated. When I say they could fly, I mean they actually flew away. I decontaminated the culture just to make sure the problem didn't spread. 

 

[hysteresis]

@Synapze, gotcha.

I bought mine at a small private reptile store, and I also know that the guy that sells the hydei and melano cultures to them makes them in his home.

Maybe dude's a ff artisan. 

 

[Cole 78]

These guys can JUMP! I always find flying fruit flies native to my apartment congregating around my cultures. Sometimes when I open a culture a couple of them fly, sooooo idk....

 

[Rick]

I believe they regain the ability to fly through subsequent generations. 

 

[Synapze]

I believe they regain the ability to fly through subsequent generations. 

I think while I have so many cultures going right now, I'll get a new small culture to begin the next rotation while these are fed out. I've noticed that after a while it seems the flies diminish in size... I'm assuming nutritional value is affected as well. 

 

[minomantis]

I've heard that it's a temperature thing. Like if you keep the parents warm, their future generations will be able to fly. Because the flying gene is repressed not removed. And when things are warmer it'll "fix" the gene quicker. Don't quote me, I believe I heard that in my bio class way back in the day. 

 

[Mantis Lady]

My old FF culture was dying out last week I tried to give my panther some fruit flies (I hoped that there was a few left for panther), but they flew away.  I decided to threw this one  away. (not much left) I want them in a mantis cup and not roaming/flying free in my house.

Bought a fresh one. Little Panther must not starve. He is the only one left wh eats them. House flies are too big for him. (yet)

 

[hysteresis]

I suppose ill need a new hydei culture. Although the one I have still has hundreds and some maggots on the side still. You can tell it was old stock as the food is nearing depletion. 

EDIT: NONE ARE FLYING YET

I do have time to make my own culture of hydei from some of the stock I have? Id need a new container maybe. It's probably easier to simply buy a fresh culture.

The ghosts and spinies are said to be L2 molting to L3. I assume they'll take hydei.

 

[Cole 78]

The flying gene is surpresed, not totally wiped. People get "flightless" fruit flies through selective breeding. They take out any mutations they find within their fruit fly culture, and breed the mutations only with the other mutations. This usually causes then to loose the ability to fly. Like curly wing flies. But when given subsequent resources (i.e. food, water, HEAT, etc...) the parents will bear offspring with the ability to fly. To help slow down the process of the ability to fly, I suggest keeping your flies in the coldest part of your house. 60s (Fahrenheit) should do the trick, but wouldn't go lower than 62F, or higher than 70F. 

Where as there is also the very real possibility of wild fruit flies making their way in. Have you seen fruit fly eggs? They are small. They can make there way through some of the finest meshes.

One way or another one day YOU WILL eventually see one of your cultures regaining the ability of flight.