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Drosophilid mating behaviour: The behaviour of decapitated females

1966; Elsevier BV; Volume: 14; Issue: 2-3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0003-3472(66)80076-3

1095-8282

Herman T. Spieth,

Insect and Pesticide Research

Female drosophilids, in common with many other Diptera, will live for several days after they have been decapitated. Such beheaded females assume an upright stance comparable to that of a normal fly and can and do engage in complex actions such as preening, flying and, under duress, walking. Although species specific variations occur, males of most species of Drosophila will court their decapitated females. All decapitated females of all species studied to date treat the courting overtures of the males as if they were noxious foreign stimuli. If by forcible assault the male achieves genitalic intromission with a decapitated female, then the copulation proceeds normally in all respects. Male courtship behaviour with decapitated females clearly shows that the initiation of courtship by the male is determined by a number of stimuli that he receives from the female and that the relative importance of any one of these diverse female-produced stimuli varies between species. Males of closely related species, however, show considerable similarity in their responses. The use of decapitated females can serve as an efficient tool for the analysis of courtship behaviour and the sexual isolating mechanisms of the genus Drosophila.