Some flies go insomniac to ward off parasites
Ars Technica 2025-05-02
Have you ever pulled an all-nighter because of anxiety? Found yourself doomscrolling on your phone when you should have gone to bed hours ago? Purposely downed too many cups of coffee at three in the morning? There are some insomniac flies who would like a word.
It appears that fruit flies that spend their days lazily buzzing through the lush orchards and rainforests of Queensland, Australia, live in paradise. That changes at sunset. After dark, the flies are plagued by the Gamasodesqueenslandicus mites, which can attach themselves like ticks and literally eat the flies alive in their sleep. Researchers led by University of Cincinnati biologist Joshua Benoit have now discovered that flies that have had enough of the mites will stay awake at the expense of their health.
These mite-resistant flies drain their nutrient reserves to stay up all night, making them more susceptible to starvation. Insomniacs consumed more oxygen and were generally more active than non-resistant flies; they also experienced changes in gene activity related to their metabolisms.