Drosophila. Common fruit fly. Who hasn’t encountered them? Who hasn’t cursed them and at the same time been amazed over their reproductive capacities?

But to the point! There’s one problem with this nomination (thanks to JP for the tip). I know for a fact that these annoying little creatures have a purpose, regardless of their apparent futility. And unfortunately it is a good one. Not for them, but for us Homo sapiens sapiens.

Research. And not just any:

…among the first organisms used for genetic analysis, and today it is one of the most widely-used…  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_melanogaster

There’s a very good reason too.

• Low cost
• Size and simplicity in structure (only four pair of chromosomes to worry about)
• Large amount of offspring
• Short development time, from as short as seven days.

According to Swedish Wiki it can also be used as live forage to some Aquarium fish and smaller batrachians.

Now, according to my criterion’s of usefulness where our nominees must at least fulfill one of the following: being someone else’s primary diet, research purposes, maintenance of biological/ecological balance, human employment.

So I’m not sure whether Drosophila really qualifies as completely and utterly futile. You decide in the final poll!

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