Fruit Flies Medicate Offspring With Alcohol 64
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."
Sounds familiar (Score:1)
Re:Sounds familiar (Score:4, Informative)
Only when they go to Applebees.
Re: (Score:2)
1. don't go to Applebees.
2. It was some girly drink, not going to hurt any kid.
Re:Sounds familiar (Score:5, Funny)
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".
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That was just... (Score:2)
...a modest proposal of mine.
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
"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.
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This is ludicrous. If the mailbox is that bad, the mailman can choose to deliver your mail via other means, or even refuse to drop off your mail, and leave a notice for you that you must pick of your mail at the Post Office from that point forward.
This is a call for the mailman to make and not some ridiculous power-hungry HOA. The HOAs have no business regulating the health of the mailman. Stupid stupid stupid.
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Now I understand where the letters are coming from. The long grass and mildewed mailbox are signs of lack of maintenance which causes a rundown appearance which reduces property values in the neighborhood which cost property owners money. AKA, buy you being a lazy ass you are costing me money.
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How is a mildewed mailbox going to reduce property values? What bank will value a home less because of a mailbox with mildew? In what plausable scenaario will a person attempting to purchase a house say, "I would like to buy your house for 1,500,000$, but because your mailbox is mildewed, it is only worth 1,490,000? Seriously, in what world does this occur?
None. It's a HOA pulling stuff out of their bottom to justify an autocratic rule. That's why they get sued for stuff like this:
http://www.nationalle [nationalledger.com]
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Alone no but combined with long grass, peeling paint, living room furniture on the lawn, etc it can.
Sorry but the lawn sign thing is a freedom of speech issue. It is very different from a property value issue.
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> The mailman himself may inhale those spores, become infected,
> become ill and, depending on the fungus, possibly die.
Fuck. Me.
I think a part of me just died,
How did we ever live?
BTW
This morning, I licked my partners cunt.
You know, the bit where she pisses from.....
I'm gonna die.
How did we ever live?
The germs...... the germs......
BTW
Are you Howard Hughes?
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Have you ever seen the process in removing mold from a building? They wear hazmat suits. By the way, the choice to lick a pussy is yours. Interacting with an mailbox is part of the mailman's job.
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When I was at college, there was one corridor in the whole building where I feel as if my face had just been stung by nettles every time I went along there. Months later, that corner of the building has been sealed off with transparent plastic, the walls stripped down to the joists and a hazmat team is walking around removing chunks of wood contaminated with a fur of black mold. Either the waterproofing in the ground or the roof had been breached and water was migrating through the wood.
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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.
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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.
They who can give up essential liberty to join an authoritarian commune, deserve home owners associations. [I'm sorry, Benjamin Franklin].
To their credit, HOAs at least serve the function of sequestering whiney bitches into avoidable, contiguous blocks. Although, I am concerned how these conformist quasi-governments may affect the minds of people forced to spend their formative years there... I wouldn't be surprised to learn they turn out DHS/TSA-material like gangbusters.
wow (Score:2)
Re:wow (Score:5, Funny)
Fuck. I drink 1 to 2 bottles of wine per day. Am I a fokking fruit fly now ?
No. RTFA. You're a maggot.
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"alcohol can be toxic" I'd better reduce my intake to 50 beers a day.
I'ts worse than that. Alcohol is a level 1 carcinogen, so it's in the same list as asbestos, plutonium and gamma rays.
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Yes, but if he cuts back on the alcohol he could be suspectible to wasp larvae! Consider the risks carefully before you make your decision.
As for all those carcinogens, they are only dangerous when you consume them in California. Much safer to consume them here in Texas. And nothing keeps the bugs away better than asbestos, plutonium and gamma rays.
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I'm concerned about your high Di-hydrogen Monoxide intake.
Time flies like an arrow (Score:3, Funny)
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That was pretty good, cogno. Nicely played.
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Fruit flies like a Bacardi.
Especially fermented fruit. Just don't drop it on someone's head, Galileo.
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They're drunk AND parasite free?
And apparently, smarter than you.
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Re:'Smarter'? (Score:5, Informative)
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The parent's point still stands.
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"Make mine an apple cider, I'm the designated pilot"
Babylon 5 (Score:3)
Hangover (Score:1)
Alcohol (Score:2)
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I thought alcohol was generated by yeast as a method of anaerobic respiration?
I'll use that as an excuse (Score:1)
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I don't know if these wasps can infect humans, but let's better not take any chances.
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Human Botflys - you couldn't make that one up.
Urp (Score:1)
I don't normally kill wasps w/ alcohol (Score:3)
But, when I do I choose Dos Equis.
Re: (Score:2)
So that's why mosquitos don't bite you. I thought it was out of respect.
Choice or herding. (Score:2)
The crux of the hypothesis is that when there are no wasps around the fruit flies disperse evenly between fresh and fermented fruit but when wasps are around they congregate around the fermented fruit. The article hypothesizes that the reason is that the flies choose the fruit is that they know that wasps do not like alcohol. There is another possibility. That the flies do not like being around the wasps and the wasps do not like being around the alcohol. When a wasp approaches a fly it moves away. Since th
animals getting drunk for fun. (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
This immediately suggests an improved scheme for catching house mice...
Then the cat gets drunk.
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Then the cat gets drunk.
Than I get entertainment.
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Now you told us all this, and we can't see it.. :/
Please make some videos, OK? I wanna see that. :)
Medicate? Insects smarter than given credit for? (Score:4, Insightful)
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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.
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and if the quote came from TFA, it's drivel too.
-1, Wrong because he didn't RTFA