What kind of flies (see photo) would be attracted to white spirit?
I later found more flies drowned in a jar of white spirit some distance away. • The distinctive wing pattern and green eyes makes these flies easy to identify. They are a fruit fly of the family Tephritidae and the species is Anomoia permunda. The larvae of these flies feed on hawthorn berries. Insect behaviour is predominantly governed by odour. For example, a female of a species will emit a pheromone to attract a mate. The male reassures the female that he is a true suitor, and not a predator, by emitting another pheromone when he is in close proximity. These chemicals are often common to many insect species, therefore different species will use a mix of chemicals, or confine their activity to different times of the day or year. That way they can use the same pheromone without fear of confusion. When the female flies of Anomoia permunda search for suitable berries on which to lay their eggs, they do not look at leaf morphology, shape or colour. Instead, they follow a trail of odour,
