Social experience shapes fighting strategies in Drosophila

Social isolation generally increases aggression but decreases mating competition, resulting in an intricate and ambiguous relationship between social experience, aggression, and reproductive success. In male Drosophila, aggression is often characterized by lunging, a frequent and comparatively low-intensity combat behavior. Here, we provide a behavioral paradigm for studying a less frequent but more vigorous fighting form known as tussling. While social enrichment decreases lunging, aligning with past observations, it heightens the more forceful tussling behavior. These two forms of aggression rely on different olfactory receptor neurons, specifically Or67d for lunging and Or47b for tussling. We further identify three pairs of central pC1 neurons that specifically promote tussling. Moreover, shifting from lunging to tussling in socially enriched males is accompanied by better territory control and mating success. Our findings identify distinct sensory and central neurons for two fighting forms and suggest that social experience may shape fighting strategies to optimize reproductive success.