Effects of breeding resource and environmental temperature on adult locomotor activity in cactophilic Drosophila

CRESPO, J; DIVITO, F; PUEYRREDÓN, J; HASSON, E; SOTO, E

ENTOMOLOGIA EXPERIMENTALIS ET APPLICATA

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2021 vol. 170 p. 513 - 521

0013-8703

Temperature and breeding resources are, at different environmental levels, important factors that affect insect evolution. Drosophila species of the repleta group make up part of the cactus?yeast?Drosophila model system. Studies in some of these cactophilic flies have shown that species differ in their preference for the type of breeding resources and traits associated to the environmental temperature. Here we investigate how alternative breeding resources (cactus species) and thermal environment affect spontaneous adult locomotor activity in the South American Drosophila buzzatii and D. koepferae adapted to live semiarid environments. Both species showed clear differences in patterns of activity. Locomotor activity was more affected by the breeding resource in D. buzzatii, whereas D. koepferae showed a clear bell shape curve in locomotor activity in response to a wide range of temperatures, independently of the breeding resource. We discuss our results and propose new hypotheses concerning responses of these cactophilic Drosophila species to temperature variation, and the diverging survival strategies that evolved as adaptations species to face arid environments.