SEM search for sound production and sound perception organs in a variety ofDrosophila species

Abstract

The discovery of new song types in Hawaiian Drosophila species has raised a question of alternative sound production and sound perception mechanisms in Drosophila. For example D. disjuncta males, which produce song with a carrier frequency of 5,000-6,000 Hz, do not vibrate their wings but only tremble them in a very small amplitude while singing. In our SEM search we found at the wing base of the flies of this species a special structure which could play a part in song production. Our search for auditory sense organs in Drosophila species revealed that the aristae on fly antennae are structurally not as simple as has been assumed. In Hawaiian D. planitibia subgroup species, the fly aristae are more regular than in other Drosophila species and they are also covered with small hairs. We did not find any sign of tympanic hearing organs in any of the studied species, but we discovered on fly legs and wings sensilla which could play a part in sound/vibration perception. Our SEM survey provides a good starting point in the search for alternative pathways for sound production and perception via transmission electron microscopy combined with behavioral studies and electrophysiological recordings in Hawaiian Drosophila species.