Courtship song recognition in the Drosophila melanogaster complex: Heterospecific songs make females receptive in D-melanogaster, but not in D-sechellia

The courtship song emitted by male wing vibration has been regarded as one of the most important signals in sexual isolation in the species of the Dro sophila melanogaster complex. Inter- and intraspecific crosses were observe d using males whose wings were removed (mute) or females whose aristae were removed (deaf). Females of D. melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. mauritiana mated with heterospecific males in the song-present condition (cross betwe en normal females and winged males) more often than in the no-song conditio n (cross between normal females and wingless males or between aristaless fe males and winged males) or they showed no preference between the two condit ions. It is possible that in these females heterospecific courtship songs p lay a role as if they were conspecific. In contrast, the females of D. sech ellia mated with D. melanogaster or D. simulans males in the no-song condit ion more often than in the song-present condition, suggesting that they rej ect males with heterospecific song. Female mate recognition depending on th e courtship song in D. melanogaster, D. simulans, and D. mauritiana is cons idered to be relatively broader and that in D. sechellia narrower.