What I actually mean to say is A spider eating A fruit fly – just so you know, we’re not talking about a fruit fly that eats spiders.
Anyway, enough of my shortcomings as a headline writer, let’s talk about fruit flies.
The spider is grappling with its freshly captured prey, attempting to swathe it in silk, having sunk it’s venomous fangs into the little yellowy-brown, red eyed critter.
Fruit flies are often used as model organisms in biology; they have a short lifecycle, breed quickly and lay multiple eggs. (You might possibly remember studies in genetics using fruit flies, from your school days!)
There are recognizable matches between human disease genes and the fruit fly genome and half of the proteins in flies can be matched with mammals.
Fruit fly genetics are currently being studied to learn more about Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease. Scientists are also looking to fruit flies to better understand the aging process, diabetes, cancer, drug abuse and the immune system.
More Spiders…
Day 190: Web of The Spider
Day 188: Spider Eyes, There’s Eight Right?
Day 184: Happy Halloween!
Day 174: Cannibalistic Critters!
Day 173: Out Of The Blue…
Day 152: The Spider and The Fly
Exif Data
Focal Length: 4.1mm
Exposure Time: 1/30 sec
Flash: On
F-Number: F/4.0
ISO: 100
Metering Mode: Matrix
White Balance: Auto
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