Taste and pheromonal inputs govern the regulation of time investment for mating by sexual experience in male Drosophila melanogaster.

ABSTRACT: Males have finite resources to spend on reproduction. Thus, males rely on a 'time investment strategy' to maximize their reproductive success. For example, male Drosophila melanogaster extends their mating duration when surrounded by conditions enriched with rivals. Here we report a different form of behavioral plasticity whereby male fruit flies exhibit a shortened duration of mating when they are sexually experienced; we refer to this plasticity as 'shorter-mating-duration (SMD)'. SMD is a plastic behavior and requires sexually dimorphic taste neurons. We identified several neurons in the male foreleg and midleg that express specific sugar and pheromone receptors. Using a cost-benefit model and behavioral experiments, we further show that SMD behavior exhibits adaptive behavioral plastic

SUBMITTER: Lee SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10237673 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature