# Why do fruit flies "bleed"?



## Snipes

We are having an infestation of fruit flies in my dorm suite at college. Sometimes when they are squished, red stuff that looks like blood comes out. They dont suck blood do they? Any ideas what it is?


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## bugmankeith

Mabye it's from the fruit juice they just ate?


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## Gigas

more thanlikely something in the digestive tract, most fruits when left to rot turn a reddy colour, eg. apples


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## Stylopidae

I do know that the red stuff only comes from the head...it may have something to do with the eyes.


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## Gigas

Evil Cheshire said:


> I do know that the red stuff only comes from the head...it may have something to do with the eyes.


Been experimenting with squishing fruit flies? lol


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## andy83

Yeah,

I've wondered this myself. It seems to only come from the head(could be wrong) and I think that it's the eyes. They do have beadie little red eyes.

Nice thread


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## MartinW

The "red stuff" is actually the pigment from the eyes rather than blood. There are various mutants used in research which either have no eye pigment and therefore do not stain your clothes when you squash them or large amounts of pigment that make a right mess on your lovely clean t-shirt


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## CopperInMyVeins

Definitely the eye pigment, I know that when my mantis eats them, the eye pigment gets all over the jaws, and actually makes them easier to see in outline, does look like blood a bit, sorry for the bad pictures, bad lighting. You can see it in the second picture.


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## the_frog_kid

*flies*

it could also be forid flies they have red pigment in their body and eyes even tho you cant see it in their bodies




thanx froggy


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## Frogsarethapoop

Ok so I tested this out last night at the lab. I squished a wild type _Drosophila_ and there was a red stain on the paper. I squished a purple eyed mutant and there was a purple stain on the paper. I squished a white eyed mutant and there really wasn't anything I could see, and I squished an orange eyed mutant and the paper streaked orange. Definately the pigment in the eyes!


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## ShadowBlade

FrogmanJ said:


> Ok so I tested this out last night at the lab. I squished a ...I squished a ... I squished a ...I squished an ... Definately the pigment in the eyes!


We're just a friendly bunch aren't we?


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## Thoth

Drosophila derserve no better fate than that.

FrogmanJ, be careful with the drosophila or you will end up with infestations everywhere you go. (When teaching genetics lab because students didn't bother to properly handle them, ended up with fruit flies in my car, in my house, at my parents et c..)


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## ShadowBlade

Thoth said:


> Drosophila derserve no better fate than that.


I know, I was just jokin' around.


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## Thoth

ShadowBlade said:


> I know, I was just jokin' around.


I know, I didn't think you were about to start lobbying for fruit fly rights. (I hope not any way)


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## Frogsarethapoop

Lol, I feed some of my frogs fruit flies. Drosophila already own my house.


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