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Mating propensity of interstrain hybrids in Drosophila bipectinata

Seema Sisodia; B.N. Singh

Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi-221005, India. Send correspondence to B.N.S.

ABSTRACT

In Drosophila bipectinata, seven wild stocks were crossed reciprocally with each other to obtain F₁ hybrids. Mating success of hybrids was studied by direct observation in an Elens-Wattiaux mating chamber. The number of matings varied in the different crosses. Analysis of variance was carried out on the data of hybrids and strains to detect the effect of male and female strains as well as interaction between sexes. Variation was highly significant for males, females and males x females interaction. Thus both sexes contribute to the variance of the next generation. The overall mean number of matings of F₁ hybrids was close to that of the original strains, which shows polygenic control of mating propensity, and a substantial amount of additive genetic variation in natural populations of D. bipectinata, which is reported for the first time in this species. These findings suggest that mating propensity is under genetic control and that there is sexual selection in D. bipectinata

Keywords: mating propensity; interstrain hybrids; Drosophila bipectinata.

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