Fruit Flies Die Quicker When They See Dead Fruit Flies: Study

If you've got a bit of a fruit fly issue, instead of discarding any of the dead insects you find, consider leaving those little carcasses out on display.

A new study found that the life spans of fruit flies — also known as the "vinegar fly" or "pomace fly" — shrink when they are exposed to the shriveled cadavers of other fruit flies.

Seeing their dead compadres leads the insects to act withdrawn. They also lose a substantial amount of weight, and the aging process speeds up — and the faster they age, the quicker they die.

Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor say a grouping of specific neurons in the fruit fly brain accelerates the bug's own demise if it sees other dead fruit flies.

The fruit flies did not have to come in contact with the dead ones. In fact, the fruit flies were separated from their dead counterparts by glass.

Scientists are still trying to determine the exact process, but the neurons, when confronted with death, signal the production of hormone insulin; the aging process of many species, including humans, can be affected by the production of insulin and the body's responses to it.

The researchers also managed to trigger a subset of the neurons, prolonging the fruit flies' lives.