Sexual dimorphism and courtship behavior in Drosophila prolongata

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<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Sexual dimorphism is often derived from sexual selection. In sexually dimorphic <jats:italic>Drosophila</jats:italic> species, exaggerated male structures are used for specific behaviors in male-to-male competition or courtship toward females. In <jats:italic>Drosophila prolongata</jats:italic>, a member of the <jats:italic>melanogaster</jats:italic> species group, males have enlarged forelegs whereas females do not. However, the adaptive role of the enlarged forelegs is unclear because little is known about the behavior of <jats:italic>D. prolongata</jats:italic>. In this study, the courtship behavior of <jats:italic>D. prolongata</jats:italic> was investigated in comparison with closely related species. Males of <jats:italic>D. prolongata</jats:italic> use their forelegs in a specific behavior, “leg vibration”, in which the male vigorously vibrates the female’s abdomen by extending his forelegs from in front of her. Leg vibration was observed immediately before “attempting copulation”, indicating that it has an adaptive role in the mating process. In contrast, leg vibration was not observed in closely related species. Because the large forelegs are necessary to accomplish leg vibration, it was suggested that the sexual dimorphism of <jats:italic>D. prolongata</jats:italic> forelegs is currently under the influence of sexual selection in courtship behavior.</jats:p>

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  • Journal of Ethology

    Journal of Ethology 32 (2), 91-102, 2014-03-25

    Springer Science and Business Media LLC

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