The role of courtship song in female mate choice in South American Cactophilic Drosophila

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0176119
• Publication Date: 2017-05-03T13:29:26Z
• Authors: Patricia P. Iglesias; Esteban Hasson
• Keywords: Reproductive isolation

Courtship songs have undergone a spectacular diversification in the Drosophila buzzatii cluster. Accordingly, it has been suggested that sexual selection played significant role promoting rapid diversification, reproductive isolation and speciation. However, there is no direct evidence (i.e., song playback experiments with wingless males) supporting this tenet. Moreover, several studies showed courtship genus not always used female mate choice decisions, nor plays same when taken into account. In vein, we use an approach combines manipulative to explore importance of four species D. cluster one closely related martensis for outgroup comparison. We also investigate sympatry between only semi-cosmopolitan species, buzzatii, other Our study revealed by females as criterion male acceptance or influences speed which males are chosen. contrast, characteristic shared venezolana, representative found studied differ conspecific heterospecific isolation. findings support hypothesis divergence preferences from venezolana suggests conserved feature complex.