Capturing Fruit Flies

We captured the Drosophila Melanogaster or commonly known as fruit flies,

by placing a trap. The trap was made by placing bananas and mangoes with its
peeling on a big open container. We waited for minutes and hours until fruit flies
starts to ascend or go near the traps. While waiting, we prepared the culture
medium (Banana gelatin agar). The culture was prepared by smashing the
bananas which was later added to a boiling water with gelatin, mixing it well. After a
few minutes, we transferred the gelatine in 3 glass container and let it settle for a
while or put it on the refrigerator to cool down. When, fruit flies were present on the
traps, we then covered them with a plastic cover.
Parent Generation
In preparation of the parent generation, we identified the male and female
fruit flies in the laboratory. We looked for the different characteristics that indicate
that they were females or males. One of those, were the female fruit flies are bigger
than males and the male has a black portion at its posterior part. After doing this,
the parent generation was both placed in a container with the gelatin medium. The
container was then labeled with pairs 1 , pairs 2 and pairs 3. And it was then
brought by my partner in their place to be observed.
F1 Generation
In the three (3) containers of parent generation, pupas were observed and
this means that we were successful in breeding the parent generation. Pupas
started to grow until they were adults, and this now becomes the first generation.
We isolated F1 generation by putting cotton slightly soaked in chloroform just for
making the flies sleep, carefully not fully killing them. We made another 3 culture
medium and them identified the male and female and separated them. Then, we
put the each paired pairs in the 3 the containers, respectively ready for breeding.
F2 Generation
The same procedure was made in breeding the F1 generation to produce F2
generation. Firstly we put a cotton which was slightly soaked in chloroform just for
making the flies sleep, carefully not killing them. Then we observed the adult
offsprings under the microscope in order to determine there sexes. After
identifying, we separated the male and female. Females are larger than males.
Furthermore, we made another 3 culture medium put paired pairs in the each of the
3 containers, respectively set for breeding.