Starvation resistance and adult body composition in a latitudinal cline ofDrosophila melanogaster

Latitudinal geographic variation in Drosophila melanogaster is pervasive. P arallel dines in traits such as body size, egg size, ovariole number, and d evelopment time have been found on several continents throughout the world. However, a dine in starvation resistance and fat content in D. melanogaste r has so far been found only in India. Here we investigate starvation resis tance and fat content in 10 populations from South America, in which dines in body size, egg size, and development time have previously been found. We find no evidence for a dine in starvation resistance or fat content in Sou th America. We therefore suggest that the dine in starvation resistance in India may have evolved in response to specific climatic variation found onl y in India.