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Updated: Mar 31, 2026
A Method to Test the Effect of Environmental Cues on Mating Behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Published on: July 17, 2017
Hydrocarbon Patterns and Mating Behaviour in Populations of Drosophila yakuba
Béatrice Denis1, Arnaud Le Rouzic2, Claude Wicker-Thomas3
1Laboratoire Évolution, Génomes, Comportement et Écologie, CNRS, IRD, Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette F-91198, France. beatrice.denis@egce.cnrs-gif.fr.
Abstract:
Drosophila yakuba is widespread in Africa. Here we compare the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles and mating behavior of mainland (Kounden, Cameroon) and island (Mayotte, Sao-Tome, Bioko) populations. The strains each had different CHC profiles: Bioko and Kounden were the most similar, while Mayotte and Sao-Tome contained significant amounts of 7-heptacosene. The CHC profile of the Sao-Tome population differed the most, with half the 7-tricosene of the other populations and more 7-heptacosene and 7-nonacosene. We also studied the characteristics of the mating behavior of the four strains: copulation duration was similar but latency times were higher in Mayotte and Sao-Tome populations. We found partial reproductive isolation between populations, especially in male-choice experiments with Sao-Tome females.
