Unlike people: Flies have sex even when they are sick

They are better known for buzzing in circles looking for bananas, but ripe fruit can be only one of the principal interests of the fruit fly.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have discovered that insects continue to have sex with each other even when they are infected with deadly pathogens.

In the laboratory, flies of infected fruit continued to engage in friendship and mating, whether the male or female fly was infected.

It was thought that infections usually reduce the amount of energy available for activities like mating.

When faced with a potential threat to life, some animals respond by investing more in reproduction, likely in trying to pass genes on to the next generation.

This may well be what is happening with fruit flies in the laboratory's tested conditions.

“The animals have limited energy resources that must be distributed between various activities, such as combating an infection or mating”, said research author Dr Caroline Rezaval at the University of Birmingham.

We were interested in understanding how animals give priority and balance their investments in immune protection and reproduction”.

The study focused on Drosophila melanogaster, a species commonly called the fruit fly, and sometimes the fly of vinegar.

The type has been used for over a century to study genetics and behavior, including the ritual of friendship, which is made up of complex, emerging behaviors that culminate with the union, researchers say.

In the laboratory, flies were infected with bacteria, including Serratia Marxens and Staphilloccus aureus, both of which can seriously affect people.

After they were infected, the men and women settled in a friendship room to see if they were to mate, broadcast Clancosova.tv.