Courtship Behavior of Zaprionus indianus (Gupta) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) from Populations Colonizing South America

• Published in: Neotropical entomology Vol. 41; no. 2; pp. 112 - 120
• Main Authors: Müller, MJ, Mendonça, MP, Oliveira, IR, de Oliveira, LPL, Valente, VLS, Valiati, VH
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer-Verlag 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Agriculture; Animals; Behavior and Bionomics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Copulation; Courtship; Drosophilidae; Ecology; Entomology; Female; Life Sciences; Male; Sound; South America; South America; sexual behavior; interpulse interval; Courtship song
• ISSN: 1519-566X; 1678-8052
• DOI: 10.1007/s13744-012-0024-1

We describe for the first time the sexual behavior and the courtship song of males of the African fly Zaprionus indianus (Gupta), a recent invader of South America. The male courtship song is formed by monocyclic pulses and the courtship behavior is simple when compared to that of species of Drosophila . Two interpulse interval (IPI) distributions were observed: pre-mounting and mounting. No significant difference was observed between the pre-mounting IPIs of males that descended from three geographical populations from South America. We also observed the songs produced by females and the homosexual behavior exhibited by males. A sequence of bursts is produced by females as a refusal signal against males, while males emit a characteristic song that identifies sex genus, which differs from the courtship song. The short courtship and mating latencies recorded reveal vigorous males and receptive females, respectively.