Entomologists have found that the attraction of fruit flies to spoiled fruits is due to their alcohol content, which allows males to attract females more effectively. Under the influence of alcohol, insects quickly accumulate pheromones, which come from fatty acids and are a signal of readiness for mating. However, experienced males consume spoiled fruits more cautiously, because they may contain toxic concentrations of methanol. Research published in the journal Science Advances.
To find out if fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) in spoiled fruit is attracted to alcohol, scientists conducted a behavioral test in which the insects were given the opportunity to choose different substances by smell, including ethanol and methanol. As it turned out, the craving for alcohol was observed mainly among young males. Scientists believe that the consumption of alcohol by young males of Drosophila is precisely an adaptation to attract females.
This was also indicated by the fact that males that had sources of alcohol in their diet produced more of the pheromones needed for mating. In experiments where the scientists left males with females, males that consumed alcohol had greater reproductive success. Of the males that were successful in attracting a female, about two-thirds were those that had consumed alcohol, while only a little more than a third were “sober.”
