Environmental Factors Influencing Progeny Yields in Drosophila

Abstract

Progeny counts in Drosophila melanogaster were found to be correlated with barometric pressures. Addition of a sublethal chemical to the culture produced a higher correlation coefficient, whereas growth of the culture in an electric field reduced the correlation well below the level of significance. The electric field appeared to have a protective action.

The Estimation of Relative Fitness of Drosophila Populations. II. Experimental Evaluation of Factors Affecting Fitness

“…This variation may be due to uncontrolled environmental factors, one possibility being humidity (see Sturtevant, 19 20;Patterson, 1943 ;and Moore, 1952). Another environmental factor that might affect the fitness estimate (viz., barometric pressure) is suggested by the results of Levengood and Shinkle ( 1960). In all population bottle experiments, D. melanogaster Oregon-R-C (ex stock Cage No.…”

The ecology of electricity and electroreception

“…Relatedly, a negatively charged insect trap reportedly captured significantly fewer hymenopterans than an uncharged trap (Maw, 1964), indicating that the charged trap may have been behaviourally avoided. In other early studies, exposure to strong electric fields was reported to increase levels of aggression in honeybees (Schuà, 1952; Warnke, 1976), influence pupation duration and/or fecundity of the phantom hemlock looper moth, Nepytia phantasmaria (Edwards, 1961), the parasitoid wasp, Scambus buolianae (Maw, 1961 b ), and D. melanogaster (Levengood & Shinkle, 1960), as well as alter the wingbeat frequency of cabbage looper moths, Trichoplusia ni (Perumpral et al ., 1978).…”

THE ESTIMATION OF RELATIVE FITNESS OF DROSOPHILA POPULATIONS. II. EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING FITNESS

“…This variation may be due to uncontrolled environmental factors, one possibility being humidity (see Sturtevant, 1920;Patterson, 1943;and Moore, 1952). Another environmental factor that might affect the fitness estimate (viz., barometric pressure) is suggested by the results of Levengood and Shinkle (1960). In all population bottle experiments, D. melanogaster Oregon-R-C (ex stock Cage No.1) has been used, making it possible to compare the effect of starting time for the one population throughout the series (table 7).…”