Mating success at high temperature in highland- and lowland-derived populations as well as in heat knock-down selected Drosophila buzzatii

PABLO SAMBUCETTI; FABIAN M. NORRY

ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2015 p. 206 - 212

0013-8703

Thermal-stress selection can affect multiple fitness components including mating success. Reproductive success is one of the most inclusive measures of overall fitness, and mating success is a major component of reproduction. However, almost no attention has been spent to test how mating success can be affected by thermal-stress selection. In this study, we examine the mating success in the cactophilic Drosophila buzzatii Patterson & Wheeler (Diptera: Drosophilidae) derived from two natural populations that nearly represent the ends of an altitudinal cline for heat knockdown resistance. Further, we extended the analysis using laboratory lines artificially selected for high and low heat knockdown resistance. Mating success at high temperature was found to be higher in the lowland than the highland population after a heat pre-treatment. Moreover, individuals selected for heat knockdown resistance showed higher mating success at high temperature than did individuals selected for low knockdown resistance. These results indicate that adaptation to thermal stress can confer an advantage on fitness-related traits including mating success and highlight the benefits of earlier heat exposure as an adaptive plastic response affecting mating success under stress of higher temperature.