Evolution of Food Preferences in Fungus-Feeding Drosophila: An Ecological Study

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Abstract
The fungus-feeding Drosophila spp. of the D. immigrans radiation and the Hirtodrosophila radiation showed different adaptations to mushrooms. The members of the D. immigrans radiation retain the original saprophagous habit and do not specialize in their fungus preferences. They seem to select hosts not by chemical uniqueness or nutritional value of mushrooms themselves, but by microorganisms growing on the mushrooms or their products. Such a situation presumably supports their polyphagy for mushrooms. Adults of the members of the Hirtodrosophila radiation have a preference for fresh mushrooms, although their larvae prefer the decayed ones like those of the species of the D. immigrans radiation. This difference between adult and larval preferences may relate to different conditions of mushrooms between the time of oviposition and the larval stages. [D. nigromaculata, D. brachynephros, D. testacea, D. confusa, D. alboralis, D. sexvittata and D. trivittata were discussed.] Predictability and abundance of mushrooms and competitive interactions between flies were also examined.