Habitat Selection, the Genetics of Preference and Peformance.

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9302757 Starmer This project will investigate the genetic basis of female egg laying behavior in conjunction with the performance of her offspring in a well studied species of Drosophila (D. buzzatii). Females of this species are known to display different preferences for laying their eggs on different microorganisms (yeasts) in the laboratory and in the field. These preferences are at least partly under genetic influence. Understanding the benefits of the mother's preferences to the offspring could explain several important aspects of evolutionary ecology such as 1) the maintenance of genetic diversity, 2) the evolution of host-specialization and 3) the origin of species.%%% Experiments will compare female egg laying behavior to the performance of her larvae with attention to both environmental and genetic aspects. Four distinct strains of D. buzzatii representing independent genetically determined egg laying responses to yeast species that grow in the natural habitat will be used. The experiments are designed to approximate the biological situation as we know it from extensive field studies. Interpretations about genetically based behavior should be useful to basic biology, evolutionary ecology, applied aspects of conservation biology and biological control of insect pests. ***