SEMINAL FLUID REGULATION OF FEMALE SEXUAL ATTRACTIVENESS IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

Finding a willing and suitable mate is critical for sexual reproductio n, Visual, auditory, and chemical cues aid in locating and/or attracti ng partners, After mating, females from many insect species become les s attractive, This is caused by changes in the quantity and/or duality of pheromones synthesized by the female and to changes in the female' s behavior, For example, female insects may stop releasing pheromones, assume a mate refusal posture, or move less in response to males, Man y postmating changes in female insects are triggered by seminal fluid proteins from the male's accessory gland proteins (Acps) and by sperm, To determine the role of seminal fluid components in mediating change s in attractiveness, we measured the attractiveness of Drosophila mela nogaster females that had been mated to genetically altered males that lack sperm and/or Acps, We found that the drop in female attractivene ss occurs in two phases, A shortterm drop in attractiveness is trigger ed independent of the receipt of sperm and Acps, Maintenance of lowere d attractiveness is dependent upon sperm.