INHERITANCE OF MALE COURTSHIP BEHAVIOR, AGGRESSIVE SUCCESS, AND BODY SIZE IN DROSOPHILA SILVESTRIS

We describe a combined phenotypic and quantitative genetic investigation of the traits that may contribute to reproductive success in the picture-winged fly, Drosophila silvestris. These were courtship behavior, aggressive success, and body size and shape. Behavioral tests were conducted on wild-caught sires and their laboratory-reared sons. Neither size, shape, nor aggressive success predicted mating success. In both generations, males that spent more time courting and in wing-vibration were more likely to mate. However, components of courtship, overall aggressive success, and overall mating success had very low and nonsignificant heritabilities. The genetic estimates did not depend on whether they were based on males reared in both environments or reared only in the laboratory.