SIGNALS AND RESPONSES OF FEMALES AND MALES IN SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL COURTSHIPS OF 3 HAWAIIAN LEK-MATING DROSOPHILA SPECIES

Drosophila planitibia, D. heteroneura and D. silvestris are the three most recently evolved species of the Hawaiian picture-winged D. planitibia subgroup. Drosophila planitibia from Maul is the presumed ancestor of the other two species, which occur partly sympatrically on the island of Hawaii. Drosophila silvestris is split into two morphologically different populations. The behaviour of the flies of these species/populations in successful and unsuccessful courtships was investigated. The most crucial differences between species were found in female responses (standing and walking) to male circling and in male responses to female standing and walking. Differences between D. silvestris strains were small compared with species differences. There were major differences between successful and unsuccessful matings in the response patterns most characteristic of different species. (C) 1995 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour