Ovipositor Extrusion Promotes the Transition from Courtship to Copulation and Signals Female Acceptance in Drosophila melanogaster

• Published in: Current biology Vol. 30; no. 19; pp. 3736 - 3748.e5
• Main Authors: Mezzera, Cecilia, Brotas, Margarida, Gaspar, Miguel, Pavlou, Hania J., Goodwin, Stephen F., Vasconcelos, Maria Luísa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Inc 05.10.2020
• Subjects: Animals; Copulation - physiology; Courtship; courtship behavior; descending neurons; doublesex; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - anatomy & histology; Female; female decision; Genitalia, Female - physiology; Male; motor output; Oviposition - physiology; ovipositor extrusion; sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology; female decision; descending neurons; motor output; sexual behavior; ovipositor extrusion; doublesex; courtship behavior; Drosophila melanogaster

Communication between male and female fruit flies during courtship is essential for successful mating, but, as with many other species, it is the female who decides whether to mate. Here, we show a novel role for ovipositor extrusion in promoting male copulation attempts in virgin and mated females...