How can I get rid of fruit flies in my kitchen?

A: We know everyone doesn't love fruit flies as much as we do! Although commonly called fruit flies, Drosophila are actually vinegar flies! Put out a glass with a bit of raw apple cider vinegar. Adding a funnel made of rolled up paper to the top will help to trap the flies. Try to avoid having over-ripened fruit out on the counter so they don't have a place to breed and keep compost tightly covered.

Why should I care about an invasive fruit fly?

It's true, compared to some invasive species, Z. indianus isn't that big of a problem and isn't likely to cause dramatic ecological or economic crop damage. But it is a super interesting to understand how  invasive species "work" because they recolonize new environments each year. Basically, we have a natural experiment repeated year after year. We can test to see whether evolution occurs in a predictable manner and how adaptation influences the course of invasion.