SEX-SPECIFIC SELECTION ON TIME TO REMATE IN DROSOPHILA-MELANOGASTER

Female Drosophila melanogaster were artificially selected for fast and slow time to remate (denoted 'high' and 'low' selection regimes, resp ectively). Both selection regimes and a control were replicated three times. Correlated responses to selection in;females and in males were measured. A significant direct response to selection for time to remat ing was found in females from both selection regimes. Remating frequen cy of females showed a correlated response only in the females from th e lines selected for faster time to remating. Time-to first mating of virgin females showed nd correlated response in either selection regim e. No correlated response was found in males for time to remate, remat ing frequency or time to first mating of virgins, indicating that gene tic correlations between the sexes do not influence the evolution of t hese traits in this population of D. melanogaster. There was no direct response to artificial selection for the ability of first males to de ter females from remating. However, we found that the genotype of the first male to mate with a female could influence her time to remate; b ase stock males were better at deterring females from remating than we re males from any of the selection lines. (C) 1998 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.