Visual signals in the courtship of Drosophila melanogaster

Abstract

Drosophila melanogaster carrying either of the mutations sev or dipp 6 show defective phototactic behaviour owing to deficiencies in the processing of visual information perceived by the central retinula cells (R7, R8). Mutant females show increased time to mating because the deficient visual input via this subsystem has an inhibitory effect on female receptivity. Similarly, deficient input through the peripheral retinula cells (R1–R6) also makes females sexually unreceptive. Thus females require appropriate visual stimulation through both subsystems to become maximally sexually receptive. One major source of this stimulation is the red eye of the male.