Inspired by the photo of food Preference test shared by @Arunan sir (taken in 2022), I started doing the test at my home lab.
On 17/04/25, I repeated the Food Preference Test in fruit flies by modifying the experimental design as per the previous day’s ChatShaala discussion.
Experimetal set up:
Two plates are set up at 9.30 am on the kitchen slab. Plate A (Positive Control) has over ripe grapes, a slice of orange, onion, banana peel with a slice of tomato. On Plate B, over ripe grapes, a slice of orange, onion, banana peel is kept without tomato
Hypothesis: Plate A attract flies and more number of flies will be on tomato.
Lets observe which of these attracts flies and when, both in the presence and absence of tomato!
@Arunan sir @Theertha @KiranKalakotiR @magpie @PChitralekha
It was at 10.40am I spotted a fly on my experimetal set up and that too, on Plate A, on tomato!!!
1 fruitfly on Plate A
Tomato:1
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:0
3 fruitflies on Plate A
17/04/25; 11.45am
Tomato:2
Onion:0
Banana peel:1
Grapes:0
Orange:0
The one fruit fly on banana peel left within 5 minutes.
17/04/25; 12.15pm
On plate A
Tomato:3
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:0
ZERO on Plate B
17/04/25
1.10pm
On plate A
Tomato:7
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:3
Total: 10 flies
ZERO on Plate B
17/04/25
2.20pm
Plate A
Tomato: 12
Onion:1
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Total 13 flies on Plate A (positive control)
Plate B
Onion:0
Banana peel:2
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Total 2 flies on Plate B
17/04/25
3.36pm
Plate A
Tomato: 10
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Total 10 flies on Plate A (positive control)
Plate B
Onion:0
Banana peel:2
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Total 2 flies on Plate B
17/04/25
6.30pm
Plate A
Tomato: 5
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:1
Total 6 flies on Plate A (positive control)
Plate B
Onion:0
Banana peel:3
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Total 3 flies on Plate B
17/04/25
8.36pm
Plate A
Tomato: 1
Onion:0
Banana peel:0
Grapes:0
Orange:0
Just 1 fly on Plate A (positive control)
ZERO on Plate B
After 8.30pm, no flies were spotted on A and B till 12.14 am 18/04/25
Hypothesis stating Plate A attracts flies and more number or flies will be on tomato is accepted by evaluating the results of the 4th experimental set up.