Courtship and mating

Question 1

Courtship parameters

Answer 1

Total time courting
Latency to initiate courtship
Latency to copulation
Courtship steps performed

Question 2

Courtship signals

Answer 2

Visual
Olfactory
Auditory
Gustatory

Question 3

Drosophila courtship

Answer 3

Orientation
Tapping
Wing vibration
Licking
Copulation

Question 4

Visual signals

Answer 4

LC10 visual projection neurons track fly-sized object

activation of neurons elicits courtship

Question 5

Chemosensory signals

Answer 5

Pheromones
Females secrete 7,11-HD and 7,11-ND that attract males and allow males to identify females of the same species

Males secrete cVA, 7-T and 7-P which attract females

Females with eggs release inhibitory pheromones

Question 6

Auditory signals

Answer 6

Females recognise species-specific songs via antennae
Female becomes receptive to copulation
Heard via Johnston’s organ in Arista

Question 7

Genetic hierarchy

Answer 7

Fruitless (fru) essential for male sexual behaviour

Female behaviour governed by fru and doublesex (dsx) genes

Question 8

mutant phenotypes

Answer 8

dsx null males cannot perform one part of courtship song

Male dsx expression in females causes transformation into males without male courtship

fru null males show no courtship behaviour

Question 9

LC neurons

Answer 9

Lobular Columnar
LC6/16 sense looming stimuli
LC11 neurons detect small dark objects