Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Steele, Richard H.

Titel

Courtship feeding in Drosophila subobscura. II. Courtship feeding by males influences female mate choice

Ist Teil von

• Animal behaviour, 1986, Vol.34 (4), p.1099-1108

Ort / Verlag

Kent: Elsevier Ltd

Erscheinungsjahr

1986

Link zum Volltext

Quelle

Elsevier ScienceDirect Journals

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Male Drosophila subobscura provide females with a drop of regurgitated food during courtship. Males that were physically prevented from producing this drop (1) had reduced courtship success with starved, but not with fed, females; (2) positioned themselves in front of the female less frequently than males providing drops; and (3) had a smaller proportion of frontal displays which led to copulation. Males that produced small or watery drops also had reduced courtship success with starved, but not with fed, females. The starved females moved away from such males more frequently than from males providing large or yeasty drops. Evidence is presented in support of the hypothesis that the drops of food offered by males during courtship slow the moving female down, making it easier for the male to complete a frontal display, and to circle and attempt to mount before the female moves away after taking the food. The effectiveness of the drop in this role depends on its attractiveness to the female, which is influenced by the drop's size and content and by the female's nutritional status.