Male-male interactions shape mate selection inDrosophila

Abstract

Males of many species have evolved behavioral traits to both attract females and repel rivals. Here, we explore mate selection inDrosophilafrom both the male and female perspective to shed light on how these key components of sexual selection — female choice and male-male competition — work in concert to guide reproductive strategies. We find that male flies fend off competing suitors by interleaving their courtship of a female with aggressive wing flicks, which both repel competitors and generate a ‘song’ that obscures the female’s auditory perception of other potential mates. Two higher-order circuit nodes – P1a and pC1x neurons – are coordinately recruited to allow males to flexibly interleave these agonistic actions with courtship displays, assuring they persistently pursue females until their rival falters. Together, our results suggest that female mating decisions are shaped by male-male interactions, underscoring how a male’s ability to subvert his rivals is central to his reproductive success.

Neurons underlying aggressive actions that are shared by both males and females inDrosophila

“…Consistent with this idea, CL062 neurons are responsive to the pulse component of the male courtship song(Baker et al, 2022). Pulse song can cause male wing threats(Sten et al, 2023). As in the case of females, CL062 neurons likely function in parallel to the well-studied aggression circuits in male - the sexually dimorphic neurons P1a neurons (Bath et al, 2014; Clemens et al, 2018; Hoopfer et al, 2015; Inagaki et al, 2014).…”