Some natural habitats of D. melanogaster larvae were examined for short-chain alcohols by gas-liquid chromatography. All habitats contained a mixture of such alcohols, although ethanol predominated and was found at concentrations ranging from 0·02 to 4·0% (v/v). Normal propanol, propan-2-01, n-butanol and methanol were nearly always present. Larval-to-adult survival was determined at three temperatures on laboratory media supplemented with alcohol mixtures similar to those found in nature, and using strains which differed in alcohol dehydrogenase genotype.
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McKechnie et al. (1982) studied this question.