Sonoran Desert

Try This

Fly Farm

What it does

This experiment lets you see the entire life cycle of a fruit fly.

What you need

• one-liter jar
• nylon stocking
• rubber band
• banana

What to do

1. Peel the banana and place it in the jar.
2. Leave the jar open for several days.
3. When the banana has attracted five to 10 fruit flies, cover the jar with a piece of the stocking secured with a rubber band.
4. Leave the flies in the jar for three more days, then let them out.
5. Put the cover back on the jar and watch what happens over the next two weeks.

What it's all about

The fruit flies will lay their eggs on the banana. The eggs will hatch as larvae, which look like tiny worms. Then the larvae stop moving and turn into pupae. Some insects (such as gypsy moths) form cocoons around their pupae, but fruit flies do not. Finally, each pupa transforms into a fully grown fly. These flies will go on to lay their own eggs and start the whole cycle again.

Remember, be sure you have a parent, teacher, or other adult help you!

Like catching bugs? Some Arizona middle school students are trapping creepy crawly critters to help ASU scientists do research.
Read about it.