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Rearing in different light regimes affects courtship behaviour in
 Drosophila melanogaster
 


The courtship behaviour ofDrosophila melanogasteris affected by the light regime in which the animals were reared as adults. The light regime has a positive assortative effect on mating. To investigate further this surprising behavioural plasticity, flies were reared in constant darkness (DD), in a light/dark-cycle (LD) or in constant light (LL) and all combinations of male/female pairs were tested. Males and females that had grown up in the same light regime had the shortest copulation latencies. Tests of courtship in total darkness confirmed that this positive assortative mating pattern does not depend upon use of vision. The results of an analysis of the behavioural subcomponents of courtship for pairs of LD females with LD and with DD males suggest that the assortative effect is mediated by copulation attempts of the males which are instrumental in reducing copulation latency. However, this behaviour was not directly influenced by the male's rearing conditions, but rather via the female's response to the male's behaviour. The male's orientation to the front of the female and the female's declining locomotor activity were critical parameters in this communication loop.