Sexual Isolation and Mating Propensity Among Allopatric Drosophila mettleri Populations

• Published in: Behavior genetics Vol. 38; no. 4; pp. 437 - 445
• Main Authors: Castrezana, Sergio J., Markow, Therese Ann
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.07.2008; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal Feed; Animal reproduction; Animals; Behavioral Science and Psychology; California; Carnegiea gigantea; Choice Behavior; Clinical Psychology; Deserts; Drosophila - genetics; Drosophila - physiology; Drosophila mettleri; Evolutionary biology; Female; Females; Health Psychology; Host-Parasite Interactions; Insects; Male; Males; Mexico; Opuntia; Original Research; Pachycereus pringlei; Plants; Psychology; Public Health; Sexual Behavior, Animal; Social Isolation; Mexico; California; United States > US; Santa Catalina Island; Baja California Mexico; North America; Arizona; Sexual isolation; Speciation; Mating propensity
• ISSN: 0001-8244; 1573-3297
• DOI: 10.1007/s10519-008-9209-0

Drosophila mettleri is found in deserts of North America breeding in soil soaked by the juices of necrotic cacti. Saguaro ( Carnegiea gigantea) and cardón ( Pachycereus pringlei) are the usual host cacti in Mexico and Arizona, while prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) is used by an isolated population on Santa Catalina Island off the southern California Coast. Populations of D. mettleri show significant local genetic differentiation, especially when geographical isolation is coupled with host shifts. We tested for evidence of sexual isolation among allopatric populations of D. mettleri using a variety of choice and no-choice tests. Populations exhibited significant differences in mating propensity, which translated into significant deviations from random mating. While in some cases these deviations were consistent with sexual isolation, in others, negative assortative mating was observed. No relationship between degree of genetic differentiation and the appearance of sexual isolation was detected.