D. funebris (Fabricius 1787)

Last update: 17 August, 2002

Picture of Drosophila funebris  
(female with male abdomen) by
Hilary Burn

This is practically a worldwide species. The adults are found in or around buildings more often than they are in fields or woods. Dyson-Hudson (1954) took more than 50% of this species in or around farm buildings. However, it cannot be classified exclusively as an indoor species because it has also been found in gardens and orchards, in woodland of various kinds, and in more open habitats. Natural baits include toadstools and bracket-fungi collected together and allowed to decay. D. funebris can be caught at a wider variety of bait than any other species: it finds decaying material just as attractive as fermenting substances. Gordon (1942) records them from elm sap in late summer. They can be trapped all the year round but are not found outdoors until March. From then on they are found in increasing numbers until August.

Prof. B. Shorrocks

Bibliography
Dyson-Hudson, V.R.D. 1954 The taxonomy and ecology of the British species of Drosophila. D.Phil. thesis (deposited in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and in the library of the Department of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, Oxford University). Back

Gordon, C. 1942 Natural breeding sites of Drosophila obscura. Nature, London 149, 499. Back