Abstract
Recent experiments have indicated that EST 6 transferred to D. melanogaster females during copulation mediates a large decrease in their attractiveness within the first six hours after mating. This decrease in attractiveness could increase the male''s fitness if it were associated with less frequent remating by their mates, because a large proportion of the first male''s sperm is lost if a female remates within one day. Here, I confirm a strong EST 6 influence on the receptivity of mated females; females with EST 6+ first mates remate significantly less frequently between 6 and 18 hours after mating than females that have not received EST 6 in the ejaculate. However, the previously observed effect of EST 6 on the attractiveness of mated females could not be substantiated. Transfer of EST 6 did not lead to a significant difference in attractiveness between EST 6.degree.- and EST 6+-mated females at any time within the first 10 hours after mating for females from either of two strains.
Funding Information
  • National Institutes of Health (GM7757)
  • National Science Foundation (DEB 81‐18405)