Studies on mating behaviour in the Drosophila bipectinata complex

Abstract

Courtship and mating behaviour were studied in six species and subspecies of the bipectinata complex of the melanogaster species-group of Drosophila. Species relationships inferred from the present behavioural observations were compatible with interrelationships inferred from studies on polytene chromosomal synapsis and allozymes by earlier workers. Thus D. bipectinata, D. parabipectinata and D. malerkotliana are more closely related to one another than to D. pseudoananassae, and D. bipectinata and D. parabipectinata are more closely related to each other than to D. malerkotliana.