GENETIC VARIATIONS OF COURTSHIP SONG OF DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER AND D. SIMULANS

Abstract

Intra-specific variations of the courtship song (inter-pulse interval: ipi) of Drosophila melanogaster and D. simulans males were investigated. The variation among strains was small in D. melanogaster (31.3-34.8 msec), whereas it was much larger in D. simulans (42.8-56.8msec). The average ipi was 32.8msec for D. melanogaster and 49.1msec for D. simulans, and the distributions between the two sibling species were non-overlapping. However, the ipi itself plays less important role for the success of mating.