Macrophotograph of a normal & a mutant fruit fly pupa of the species Drosophila melanogaster. Each pupa is encased in a hard, barrel-shaped puparium w

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Macrophotograph of a normal & a mutant fruit fly pupa of the species Drosophila melanogaster. Each pupa is encased in a hard, barrel-shaped puparium with breathing tubes, or spiracles, at each end. The pupa on the right, with red compound eyes, is the natural, or wild type, known as Oregon R. The pupa on the left is a mutant known as White Miniature Forked. It has white eyes, shorter wings than the normal fly, & the bristles on its face & body are distorted & forked. Drosophila is used in genetic studies because it is easy to raise in large numbers, reproduces rapidly, & its mutations are easy to identify.

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Size: 5021px × 3261px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, drosophila, fly, fruit, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, macrophoto, melanogaster, mutant, mutation, nature, pupa, wildlife, zoology