BRAINCAKEFruit Fly Rhagoletis pomonella
The apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella) of North America is an example of sympatric speciation that may be happening now.
The fly originally laid its eggs only in the fruit of native hawthorn trees. Adults find mates on the host fruit, females lay eggs in the fruit, and the larvae (maggots) feed inside it.
European settlers brought apple trees to North America. In the mid-nineteenth century, some flies began laying eggs in apples. Two groups, called host races, now exist in the same area: a hawthorn race and an apple race.
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Key terms in this lesson
- sympatric speciation
- The formation of a new species from a population in the same geographical area, without a physical barrier separating it from the parent population.
More in Natural Selection
- Endemic Species
- Desert Pupfish
- Adaptive Radiation
- Sympatric Speciation
- Howea Palm Tree
- Cichlid Fish
- Cichlid Speciation
- Cichlids Under Threat
All 29 lessons in Natural Selection · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics