Mating increases Drosophila melanogaster females' choosiness by reducing olfactory sensitivity to a male pheromone.

ABSTRACT: Females that are highly selective when choosing a mate run the risk of remaining unmated or delaying commencing reproduction. Therefore, low female choosiness would be beneficial when males are rare but it would be maladaptive if males become more frequent. How can females resolve this issue? Polyandry would allow mating-status-dependent choosiness, with virgin females selecting their first mate with little selectivity and becoming choosier thereafter. This plasticity in choosiness would ensure timely acquisition of sperm and enable females to increase offspring quality during later mating. Here, we show that Drosophila melanogaster females display such mating-status-dependent choosiness by becoming more selective once mated and identify the underlying neurohormonal mechanism. Mating relea

SUBMITTER: Kohlmeier P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9477091 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature