Are fruit flies the same as gnats?

Gnat is a common name that many people use for small winged insects that fly around the house. A misconception that a lot of people make is that gnats are babies. Tiny gnats are fully grown adults. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish between gnats and other tiny flying insects. Some people might call fruit flies gnats because of their small size. They are not the same thing even though they might look quite similar.

Fruit flies have red eyes and are a brownish orange color. There are several different types of gnats but none of them have these distinct features. Unfortunately it is pretty difficult to actually thoroughly examine a fruit fly as they will fly away very quickly.