melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster, commonly known as the fruit fly, is a small dipteran insect in the family Drosophilidae. Native to sub-Saharan Africa, it has become a global model organism in genetics and developmental biology. It is typically found on rotting fruit and other fermenting materials, which serve as food for both larvae and adults.

It undergoes complete metamorphosis: egg, larva (three instars), pupa, and adult. Development is rapid under favorable conditions; at 25°C a generation can be produced in about 10 days. Females lay hundreds of eggs on or near a food source. Adults are about 2–3 mm long; males usually have a darker abdomen and distinctive sex combs on their forelegs, while females are generally larger with a lighter abdomen.

D. melanogaster has played a central role in genetics since Thomas Hunt Morgan's experiments in the early 1900s, which established the chromosome theory of inheritance. It has a well-mapped genome and a broad array of genetic tools, including balancer chromosomes, P-element transposons, and modern genome editing methods such as CRISPR and the GAL4/UAS system for tissue-specific gene expression.

Its genome contains roughly 14,000–15,000 genes and was among the first multicellular organisms to be sequenced. The species remains widely used to study development, neuroscience, behavior, aging, and human disease models, with extensive community resources for research and education.