R. Godoyherrera et Jl. Silvacuadra, THE BEHAVIOR OF SYMPATRIC CHILEAN POPULATIONS OF DROSOPHILA LARVAE DURING PUPATION, GENETICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 21(1), 1998, pp. 31-39
The behavioral mechanisms by which the larvae of sympatric Chilean pop
ulations of Drosophila melanogaster, D. simulans, D. hydei and D. busc
kii select pupation sites are described in terms of larval substrate p
references. These species share the same breeding sites in Central Val
ley of Chile. It is important to investigate larval substrate preferen
ces to pupate in sympatric natural populations of species of Drosophil
a because such behavior could contribute to the coexistence of the spe
cies in the wild. D. busckii larvae preferred humid substrates with a
smooth surface to pupate, whereas D. simulans larvae selected humid su
bstrates with a rough surface. Larvae of D. melanogaster chose dry and
humid substrates with a rough surface, whereas D. hydei larvae occupi
ed dry substrates with a smooth surface to form puparia. D, melanogast
er larvae dug deeper into dry than into humid sand, whereas D, simulan
s larvae dug more into humid sand. D. busckii larvae pupated in the up
per layers of humid and dry sand, and D. hydei larvae dug more into hu
mid than into dry sand. Pupae of the four Drosophila species showed ag
gregated distributions on the substrates. Larval prepupation behaviors
of D, melanogaster, D. simulans, D. hydei and D, busckii could be imp
ortant to their coexistence in the wild.