A GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF PHOTOPERIODIC REPRODUCTIVE DIAPAUSE IN DROSOPHILA-TRIAURARIA

Recombinant inbred lines were produced from hybrids between diapausing and non-diapausing strains of Drosophila triauraria Beck & Wheeler by twenty generations of full-sib mating. The analysis of these inbred lines suggests that the difference in the photoperiodic response between the original diapausing and non-diapausing strains is due to genes at three or four loci and at least one of these loci is located on the X chromosome. The original diapausing strain and two inbred lines exhibited circadian peaks when subjected to the Nanda-Hamner protocol, although they had different critical daylengths. This suggests that critical daylength is modified independently of the circadian oscillation system in this species. On the other hand, diapause duration was correlated with critical daylength among the inbred lines and the original diapausing strain, suggesting that these two traits are under the control of the same genetic system.