INBREEDING DEPRESSION AND MALE-MATING BEHAVIOR IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

There have been relatively few studies designed to investigate the eff ects of inbreeding on behavioral traits. To study this phenomenon, fiv e experimental lines of Drosophila melanogaster made isogenic for chro mosome 2 were evaluated for their male-mating ability and, subsequentl y, male courtship behavior. All lines showed significant reductions in overall mating ability, and males from all of these lines displayed i mpaired mating behavior, with two lines displaying particularly aberra nt courtship patterns. Line 16 displayed an inability to successfully initiate copulation following successful courtship, while line 17 disp layed significant reduction in locomotor activity, resulting in virtua lly no successful courtship or copulatory activity. The implications o f these findings for competitive mating ability in wild Drosophila pop ulations are presented. Further, the importance of mating success as a fitness component in the management of potentially highly inbred popu lations of endangered species is discussed.