a big thank you
to "drb", who left comments on my last two posts, telling me my unidentified bug could be a fruit fly. That was my first suspicion, but I've never seen a fruit fly.
drb also left a website address and the phone number for the fruit fly hotline.
Thank You, I couldn't find that number in my phone book.
I turned off the computer and called the number, got an email address, and sent them the three photos I had taken to confirm (or deny) that what I had was in fact a QLD fruit fly.
The images on the website are drawings rather than photos, so it's hard to be sure.
It's definitely not a Mediterranean (spelling?) fruit fly as those are black and speckled, according to the drawings.
But it does look like a QLD fruit fly.
Then I got a screwtop jar and went outside to catch that bugger!
He's inside the jar next to my computer now.
I felt I had to do this, because there are backyard fruit and veg gardens all around my home, and many more in the neighbourhood. I can't be jeopardising those gardens, or indeed the rest of the state's fruit production, just because I think he's a pretty little thing.
I'll let you all know as soon as I find out for sure.
I think I will also suggest to the fruit fly website that photos instead of or as well as drawings might make it easier for people to identify these flies. Wasps too.
6:44pm; I've had a reply from the fruit fly people, seems my pretty little bug is not a fruit fly, so I've let him go back into the garden.
drb also left a website address and the phone number for the fruit fly hotline.
Thank You, I couldn't find that number in my phone book.
I turned off the computer and called the number, got an email address, and sent them the three photos I had taken to confirm (or deny) that what I had was in fact a QLD fruit fly.
The images on the website are drawings rather than photos, so it's hard to be sure.
It's definitely not a Mediterranean (spelling?) fruit fly as those are black and speckled, according to the drawings.
But it does look like a QLD fruit fly.
Then I got a screwtop jar and went outside to catch that bugger!
He's inside the jar next to my computer now.
I felt I had to do this, because there are backyard fruit and veg gardens all around my home, and many more in the neighbourhood. I can't be jeopardising those gardens, or indeed the rest of the state's fruit production, just because I think he's a pretty little thing.
I'll let you all know as soon as I find out for sure.
I think I will also suggest to the fruit fly website that photos instead of or as well as drawings might make it easier for people to identify these flies. Wasps too.
6:44pm; I've had a reply from the fruit fly people, seems my pretty little bug is not a fruit fly, so I've let him go back into the garden.
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Interesting. I've compared it to several photos of Qld fruit fly, and it looks different to me.
ReplyDeleteThe council will be pretty proud of you for contacting them if it *is* a fruit fly.
ReplyDeleteAndrew; I've never seen photos of any type of fruit fly, only drawings. When the council replied to me they sent photos of a QLD fruit fly so I could see the difference. I hope I haven't deleted those, I'd like to post them so others can see what a fruit fly looks like.
ReplyDeleteKath; I like to do a good deed now and again, especially when it might benefit my whole state.
I'm glad you caught it!
ReplyDeleteI thought Victoria was free of fruitfly then I can't remember which border they used to make you stop and inspect your car for fruit.
ReplyDeleteIt was the NSW/Victoria border.
ReplyDeleteI remember it well.
Veronica; I'm glad I was able to let it go again.
ReplyDeleteBaino; it's SA that's free of fruit fly. We can take fruit across the border, but we can't bring any fruit and veg back into SA.
R.H. you're correct. I remember it too. Stopping just before the border and eating all the fruit left in the esky.
Hi River,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that it is not a fruit fly. Did they tell you what it is?
Victoria is not fruit fly free anymore (they have given up). Now, at the Vic/SA border has a quarentine bin to place fruits and veg about 1km in Vic before Bordertown.
Correction: Northern victoria is still a fruit fly exclusion zone.
ReplyDeleteYep, my family used to have that same kind of can opener. It was dreadful. What a funny story about the can preceding something to open it with. People used knives, I suppose. I also remember something about people on an Arctic expedition getting sick from the lead in the cans way long ago
ReplyDelete