Pupation site preference selection in Drosophila jambulina

Seema Ramniwas,Girish Kumar

doi:10.1080/03949370.2019.1592230

Seema Ramniwas, Girish Kumar

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2019.1592230

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Abstract

Larvae of three latitudinally different populations of Drosophila jambulina belonging to the montium subgroup were tested for pupation site preference in relation to temperature. At 30 °C, larvae preferred to pupate on food whereas at 21 °C pupation occurred on the cotton. Genetic basis of larval pupation behavior was studied by conducting reciprocal crosses for 30 generations on food-selected and on cotton-selected pupae. Results from genetic analysis between food-selected and cotton-selected strains indicated a single gene responsible for the pupation site preference, with F1 progeny pupated on cotton and F2 (F1 × F1) larvae pupated on both food as well as on cotton. Although we found no change in morphological traits in food vs cotton selected populations, significantly different growth rate (body weight) between the two strains was observed. These results suggest that pupation site preferences can affect life-history traits in D. jambulina.

Highlights

A behavioral phenotype is influenced by both genotype and environment (Sokal et al, 1960).Difference in pupation site choice can reflect larval difference in the method of finding food as well as difference in niche breadth (Jaenike, 1985)
Selection for pupation site preference (PSP) in D. jambulina for 30 generations resulted in a two different phenotype in food selected strains and in cotton-selected strains (Figure 1)
True breeding strains were used for cotton- selected (HH) and food- selected (LL) strains to examine the genetic basis as well as allelic dominance for pupation site preference

Summary

Introduction

A behavioral phenotype is influenced by both genotype and environment (Sokal et al, 1960).Difference in pupation site choice can reflect larval difference in the method of finding food as well as difference in niche breadth (Jaenike, 1985). It has been observed that Drosophila tends to pupate close to the food when temperatures are high whereas at lower temperatures pupation occurs high on the vial sides (Schnebel and Grossfield, 1992). These pupation height differences may not depend on temperature per se, rather on correlates of temperature, such as the moisture content of the food and the humidity of the air (Sokal et al, 1960). Our primary aim in this study is to establish the genetic basis of laboratory selected strain with food pupation site preference and cotton site preference in D. jambulina

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Conclusion