Hierarchical structure in the Drosophila mojavensis cluster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Sequences from three gene regions from the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes were used to examine the extent and nature of hierarchical structure in the Drosophilamojavensis cluster (Drosophila arizonae, D. mojavensis and D. navojoa) of the D. repleta species group. To determine the genetic divergence of these three species, sequence data were analyzed using maximum parsimony and population aggregation analysis. Individual and combined gene genealogies indicate that D. arizonae and D. mojavensis are neither diagnosable nor monophyletic with respect to one another. Although D. navojoa has differentiated from D. arizonae and D. mojavensis, as diagnosed by nuclear gene sequences, it may have undergone a reticulation event with D. arizonae. Our results suggest that either these taxa are still undergoing differentiation at the molecular level or have experienced gene flow in the recent past.     

Behavioral analysis of the choice of oviposition site by single females ofDrosophila Melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

The oviposition behavior of single females of Drosophila melanogasterwas studied in population cages over 24 h. Each female shows a different behavior, but they can be arbitrarily separated into those which concentrate their egg laying in only one tube and those which spread it over more than two tubes. A comparison is made between females extracted from the Valdivian population and flies from lines selected for high and low aggregation. When one-tube females were grouped and compared with more-than-one-tube females, the aggregation indices between these groups were significantly different.     

Dynamics of mating success in experimental groups ofDrosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Determinants of male courtship success in Drosophila melanogasterwere examined in groups of five males sequentially presented with five individual females. Thirty-three percent of males never mated, while approximately half of the males mated two or three times. Rapid courtship initiation was associated with male success in early matings only. Male size was important for courtship outcome, but the size distributions of mating and nonmating males and their progeny numbers indicate balancing rather than directional selection on size- dependent courtship success.     

Metamorphosis of the central nervous system ofDrosophila melanogaster Meigen (Diptera: Drosophilidae) during pupation

We studied the metamorphosis of the central nervous system (CNS) and neighbouring muscles ofDrosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae) during pupation by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The age of white pupa was assumed to be 0 h and the process of metamorphosis was monitored, onward between 6 and 96 h at 25°C. The profiles in the neuropil showed degeneration at 6 h and its extent increased by 12 h. The presence of glycogen in some of these profiles indicated their larval character. Between 12–18 h, the neuronal profiles became separated from one another, the intervening space was filled with extracellular fluid, and some of the larval synapses degenerated. Synaptic vesicles started reappearing around 18 h and synapses were detectable by 24 h. Neuronal processes compactly filled the neuropil by 65 h and the maturation of synapses continued until 86 h. The degeneration of profiles in the neuropil was found to be bimodal, peaking at 12 and 42 h, and that of cortical cells was unimodal with a peak at 42 h. The number of neuronal profiles increased with the development time, indicating that more branching of neuronal profiles occurs in neuropils as the metamorphosis progresses. Average number of synapses per unit area (or volume) is minimum at 18 h and maximum at 72 h, when the average number of synapse per axon profile is 0.54. Because 2 axon profiles share one synapse, a value close to 0.5 for monad synapses shows that, on an average, each axon profile at least makes one synapse at this stage of development. Subsequently, there is more than 75% of reduction in the number of synapses during 73 and 78 h. In muscles, vacuoles suggesting histolysis appeared by 6 h. Their ultrastructure became deranged between 12–18 h and myoblasts were found to be present since 8 h. Except for a few muscles in the thorax, such as larval oblique muscles and pharyngeal muscles, most of the muscles in the head and thorax lost all the ultrastructural details and histolyzed by 18 h. Around 38 h, imaginai muscles were detectable, and well-developed muscles were found by 55 h. However, myofibrils continued to be added laterally to the preformed muscles even at 96 h. Electron-dense mitochondria (EDMITs) were found in the neuropil, cortex and muscles of pupa, along with mitochondria of characteristic shape and normal appearance. These EDMITs often occurred in large clusters of more than 100, at times near the surface of the tissue. A few of these were enclosed in vacuoles and were darker than the rest of the EDMITs and normal looking mitochondria. Histochemistry with diaminobenzidine showed the presence of cytochrome c and marker enzyme cytochrome oxidase, both in EDMITs and normal mitochondria. EDMITs were not found to be present in any tissue of the adultDrosophila. A preliminary report of the work was presented at the International Conference on Neurobiology at Goa in 1991 and appeared inNervous Systems, Principles of Design and Function (ed.) R N Singh (New Delhi: Wiley Eastern) pp 91–105 (1992).     

Host Preference Among Populations of Drosophila mojavensis (Diptera: Drosophilidae) that Use Different Host Cacti

Previous studies have suggested that all populations of cactophilic Drosophila mojavensis prefer pitaya agria cactus, Stenocereus gummosus, over all other potential hosts for feeding and breeding, including populations that inhabit areas where no agria grows. We sampled five geographically isolated populations of D. mojavensis from nature to assess host choice within and between populations. Host choice tests were performed in a laboratory olfactometer by allowing adult D. mojavensis to choose between plumes of synthetic volatile cocktails of two widespread host cacti. Overall, each population showed significant preference for agria volatiles with one exception: a mainland Sonora population that uses organ pipe cactus in nature exhibited preference for organ pipe volatiles, suggesting a possible shift in host preference. The degree of preference for agria volatiles was greatest in a population from southern California that use California barrel cactus as a host. Since southern Californian populations of D. mojavensis are thought to be derived from those in Baja California, preference for agria volatiles is considered a retained ancestral trait. Three populations from Baja California and mainland Mexico that use agria in the wild expressed lower, but similar preferences for agria volatiles. Because populations of D. mojavensis are ancestral to those in mainland Mexico, Arizona, and California, the shift from agria to alternate hosts has not been accompanied by strong changes in host preference behavior.     

Mating speed and the interplay between female and male courtship responses inDrosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

The objective of this study was to compare measures of general activity and sexual behavior for various genotypes within a strain of Drosophila melanogaster, which had known differences in mating speed. Three inbred lines of D. melanogaster differed significantly in mating speed when tested in female-choice and in single-pair experiments. Analyses of locomotor activity and sexual activity of females and males revealed no significant differences between the inbred lines. An analysis of the interplay between female and male courtship behaviors enabled the examination of signal-response differences between the inbred lines. The inbred lines with intermediate and slow mean mating speed showed a decreased number of significant transitions between female and male behavioral responses. This decrease was more severe in the slow mating line. Further, the intermediate- and slow-mating females and males displayed courtship responses toward signals of the opposite sex that were different from those of the fastmating line. Models of the relationship between behavioral activity and mating speed in Drosophila are discussed and a different explanation for variation in mating speed among the three inbred lines is considered.     

The subgenus Scaptodrosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Four major subgenera, Drosophila, Sophophora, Hirtodrosophila and Scaptodrosophila, and several minor subgenera, have been recognized in the genus Drosophila. The hitherto little studied subgenus Scaptodrosophila, possessing a complicated synonymy, contains 144 named species, or about 11% of the total described in the genus; it is likely that many more Scaptodrosophila species await discovery. Scaptodrosophila probably originated in tropical Asia, and the greatest Scaptodrosophila faunas occur in Asia, south-east Asia, New Guinea, Australia and Africa, with very few species in north and south America and Europe. Scaptodrosophila species usually possess a pair of prescutellar bristles, a propleural bristle, and three large subequal sternopleural bristles; other morphological features are more variable. Ecological information concerning the majority of Scaprodrosophila species is scanty or absent, but known feeding or breeding sites include tree sap, fungi, fruit, flowers and 1eaf litter; larvae of at least one species are gall forming in plant tissues. The establishment of species groups is complicated by lack of detailed knowledge of many species, but six groups containing four or more species are recognized.     

Development time and pupation behavior in theDrosophila melanogaster subgroup (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

This study is an in-depth analysis of intersexual, intraspecific, and interspecific variability in larvopupal developmental time, pupation site preference, and larval and pupal survival of a number of isofemale lines of the speciesDrosophila mauritiana, D. melanogaster, D. sechellia, D. simulans, D. teissieri, andD. yakuba. There was no significant sex differences in pupation height, but females eclosed significantly earlier than males in all species. In addition, the suggestion of a strong negative correlation between larval developmental time and pupation height could not be confirmed in this study. The hypothesis that differences in pupation height provide a basis for niche partitioning between closely related species with overlapping distributions was tested by three planned orthogonal contrast analyses of variance. First, the two speciesD. teissieri andD. yakuba, with largely overlapping distribution, were significantly different in pupation height. Second, the two allopatric, nonoverlapping island speciesD. mauritiana andD. sechellia did not significantly differ in pupation height. However, the absence of a significant difference in the final contrast between the two cosmopolitan speciesD. melanogaster andD. simulans, which are often found together, makes us cautious to accept the hypothesis.     

Lek behavior in hypercephalic Zygothrica dispar Wiedemann (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

In the Neotropical drosophilid secies Zygothrica dispar the males, many of which are hypercehalic, engage in territorial fights on mushrooms. In an attempt to see whether head width effects mating success, lek behavior was videorecorded. Most owners of a territory on the cap of a mushroom are broad-headed, and usually defeat intruders, which in general have a narrower head. Escalation in confrontation to bodily contact is rare and mostly involves opponents of equal head width. Most contests between unequals end after a close head-to-head confrontation, and are thus purely ritual. Females appeared to be courted only on the lek. Although no female was observed to copulate, it can be supposed that male head width influences fitness through its effect on owning a territory on the lek.     

Identification of acoustic stimuli that mediate sexual behavior inDrosophila busckii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

We have shown that D. busckiimales and females, unlike other drosophilids that have been analyzed in this regard, court and copulate as well in relatively dim red light as they do in bright white light. We have also shown that males and females of this species flutter their wings during courtship and that wing fluttering in both sexes is associated with acoustic stimuli. Wingless males perform vigorous courtship but are incapable of mating, suggesting that females must perceive male song to be receptive to copulation. When they are tested with normal males, wingless females stimulate vigorous courtship, but their copulation frequencies are significantly lower than winged females. This observation suggests that perception of the female's song by either or both sexes facilitates mating.     

Low courtship song variation in south and southeastern Brazilian populations of Drosophila meridionalis (Diptera, Drosophilidae)

Drosophila meridionalis is a cactus-breeding species with a wide distribution in South America. Most populations of this species are geographically isolated, what provides a promising scenario for studying evolution. Former studies of this species revealed a remarkable karyotypic variation among its populations. Up to six distinct metaphase chromosomes were described, showing that this species is polymorphic at least at the chromosomal level. In order to elucidate the taxonomic status of populations showing different metaphase chromosomes, we analyzed the courtship song of five populations of D. meridionalis in South and Southeastern Brazil. In addition, we analyzed the metaphase chromosomes of each population. Our results show that, despite the two karyotype observed, most courtship song parameters did not vary among the populations. Altogether, our results suggest that D. meridionalis from South and Southeastern Brazil represents one species with an inter-population chromosomal variability.     

肠道细菌弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌对斑翅果蝇生长发育和物质代谢的影响

【目的】明确弗氏柠檬酸杆菌Citrobacter freundi和产酸克雷伯氏菌Klebsiella oxytoca两种肠道共生细菌对斑翅果蝇Drosophila suzukii生长发育和物质代谢的影响。【方法】以正常饲养条件下的斑翅果蝇、构建的斑翅果蝇无菌品系以及弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌单一共生菌感染的斑翅果蝇品系为材料,检测不同品系间斑翅果蝇的卵孵化率、3龄幼虫体重和化蛹率;测定不同斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内蛋白质、氨基酸、糖原和游离脂肪酸等代谢物的含量及超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和过氧化物酶(POD)的活力。【结果】正常饲养条件下的斑翅果蝇卵孵化率、3龄幼虫体重、化蛹率及3龄幼虫体内蛋白质的含量均高于其他斑翅果蝇品系,且无菌品系中的最低。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌感染的斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫中的氨基酸和糖原含量均低于斑翅果蝇无菌品系和正常品系。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌感染斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内游离脂肪酸的含量较其他品系的也降到最低。弗氏柠檬酸杆菌和产酸克雷伯氏菌感染斑翅果蝇品系3龄幼虫体内POD活力显著高于无菌品系和正常品系,而CAT活力显著低于无菌品系。【结论...     

Sensorimotor transformation from light reception to phototactic behavior inDrosophila larvae (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

In this paper we examine theDrosophila melanogaster larval response to light. We survey the morphology of the larval visual and motor systems in relation to larval locomotory behavior and phototaxis. In addition, this paper proposes a model of sensorimotor transformation and examines the reversal in taxis occurring at theD. melanogaster larval wnadering stage.     

Variation and repeatability of courtship song characters among wild-caught and laboratory-rearedDrosophila montana andD. littoralis males (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

InDrosophila montana andD. littoralis (species of theD. virilis group), females use male courtship song in their mate choice in wild preferring males which produce short and dense sound pulses (Aspi and Hoikkala, 1995). In the present study these song characters were found to be repeatable among overwintered males. Male progenies of wild-caught flies reared in the laboratory, and inD. montana also the males collected in wild before overwintering, exhibited very little variation between males in these characters. Contrary to pulse characters, pulse train characters measured forD. montana song varied significantly between laboratory-reared males. Our findings suggest that inD. montana andD. littoralis song characters playing a part in sexual selection in the wild are more condition dependent than song characters which are not the direct targets of female choice.     

A genetic analysis of cyromazine resistance in Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Flies resistant to the insect growth regulator cyromazine were selected in the F1 generation from a cyromazine-susceptible strain of Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen) treated with ethyl methanesulfonate. Four resistant strains were isolated by screening with cyromazine at a concentration > LC100 of susceptibles. In each strain, resistance is conferred by a single gene mutation. Cyromazine resistance in two of the mutants (rst(1a)cyr1 and rst(1a)cyr2) localizes to map position 17 of the X chromosome. Evidence is presented that these mutations are alleles of the gene rst(1a)cyr. Cyromazine resistance in another of the mutants (Rst(1b)Cyr) is also X-linked, and localizes to map position 49 of the X chromosome. The location of the gene conferring cyromazine resistance in the other mutant (Rst(2b)Cyr) is map position 66 of chromosome II. This is possibly an allele of a previously characterized cyromazine resistance gene, Rst(2)Cyr. Dosage-mortality analyses demonstrate a low level of cyromazine resistance is conferred in all strains.     

拱背果蝇属三新种记述(双翅目:果蝇科)

记述了拱背果蝇属 (Lordiphosa)黑色拱背果蝇种组 (nigricolorspecies group) 3新种 :黑腿拱背果蝇 (Lordiphosanigrifemursp nov )、鲁甸拱背果蝇 (Lordiphosaludianensissp nov )和施氏拱背果蝇 (Lordiphosashiisp nov )。