Male Sexual Signals and Female Choice in Drosophila grimshawi (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract

Sexual selection and sexual signaling have been prominent topics in recent behavioral studies, but limited data have led to controversy regarding these topics. For example, the Hawaiian Drosophila are often cited as examples in which female choice has resulted in the evolution of elaborate male courtship signals, but relatively few data exist to test these claims adequately. We studied D. grimshawi, a lek-forming Hawaiian Drosophila, to determine whether there was evidence for female choice without male competition and to elucidate the possible cues females use to discriminate. Male mating success was found to be nonrandom and males that courted females intensely and deposited many pheromone-containing streaks on the substrate were the most successful. Hence, multiple cues seem to be involved in male mating success in this species. Some males performed only one display, however, and may represent an alternate male mating tactic. The protein content of the adult male diet significantly influenced the level of pheromone streak deposition, and thus, foraging environment may affect the outcome of sexual selection.