Variation in the intermittent buzzing songs of male medflies (diptera: tephritidae) associated with geography, mass-rearing, and courtship success

Abstract

Varios aspectos de los patrones temporales de los sonidos del zumbido intermitente producido durante el cortejo pre-copulatório de los machos de la mosca del Mediterráneo variaron entre moscas silvestres de Costa Rica, Argentina y Hawaii, y entre moscas de sepas de cría masiva de Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico y Hawaii. No se presentaron diferencias consistentes cuando se compararon las sepas de cría masiva en Costa Rica, Argentina y Hawaii con moscas silvestres de los sitios de origen. Los sonidos producidos durante cortejos que terminaron en cópulas no difieron de los sonidos producidos durante cortejos que llevaron a montas que fracasaron en moscas de Costa Rica y Argentina. Pero en sepas de todos los sitios los zumbidos intermitentes que incluyeron pequeñas pausas tuvieron una mayor probabilidad de no terminar en un intento de monta. Los zumbidos intermitentes de las moscas de las crias masivas tuvieron una tendencia leve a interumpirse mas frecuentemente.

Many aspects of the temporal pattern of sounds produced during the intermittent buzzing displays of pre-copulatory courtship by male medflies varied between wild flies from Costa Rica, Argentina, and Hawaii, and between mass-reared flies from Costa Rica, Argentina, Mexico, and Hawaii. There were no consistent differences when mass-reared strains were compared with the wild strains from the area where they originated in Costa Rica, Argentina and Hawaii. Buzzing sounds produced prior to successful mounting attempts did not differ consistently from those preceding unsuccessful mounts in flies from Costa Rica and Argentina. In strains from all sites, however, courtships in which buzzes were interrupted were more likely not to result in mounting of the female. There was a weak tendency for interruptions to be more common in mass-reared strains.