Fruit flies sacrifice sleep to fight parasites

A recent study reveals that fruit flies (*Drosophila melanogaster*) resist ectoparasitic mites by sacrificing sleep and increasing nighttime activity, a strategy that comes at the cost of increased metabolism and vulnerability to starvation. This evolutionary response highlights a trade-off between rest and vigilance, offering new insights into host-parasite interactions and potentially broader implications for understanding sleep patterns in other animals, including humans.

Read the full article at https://www.paperleap.com/blog/articles/fruit-flies-sacrifice-sleep-to-fight-parasites-0cccyb