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First published online June 12, 2009
Journal of Experimental Biology 212, 2120-2127 (2009)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2009
doi: 10.1242/jeb.027342
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Enriching early adult environment affects the copulation behaviour of a tephritid fly

Francisco Díaz-Fleischer1,*, José Arredondo2 and Martín Aluja3

1 Inbioteca, Universidad Veracruzana, Campus para la Cultura, las Artes y el Deporte, 101 Avenue de las Culturas Veracruzanas, 91090 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
2 Programa MoscaMed, Desarrollo de Métodos, Apartado Postal 368, 30700 Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico
3 Instituto de Ecología, A. C., Apartado Postal 63, 91000 Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

* Author for correspondence (e-mail: fradiaz{at}uv.mx)

Accepted 4 April 2009

Early adult experiences in enriched environments favours animal brain and behavioural development ultimately resulting in an increased fitness. However, measuring the effect of environmental enrichment in animal behaviour in nature is often a complicated task, considering the complexity of the natural environment. We expanded previous studies to evaluate how early experience in an enriched environment affects copulation behaviour when animals are confronted with a complex semi-natural environment. Anastrepha ludens flies are an ideal model system for studying these effects because their natural habitats differ significantly from the cage environments in which these flies are reared for biological control purposes. For example, in the field, males form leks of up to six individuals. Each male defends a territory represented by a tree leaf whereas in rearing cages, territories are completely reduced because of the high population density. In a series of three experiments, we observed that male density represented the most influential stimulus for A. ludens male copulation success. Males that experienced lower densities in early adulthood obtained the highest proportion of copulations. By contrast, female copulation behaviour was not altered by female density. However, exposure to natural or artificial leaves in cages in which flies were kept until tested influenced female copulation behaviour. Females that were exposed to enriched environments exhibited a shorter latency to mate and shorter copulation durations with males than females reared in poor environments. We discuss the influence of early experience on male copulation success and female-mating choosiness.

Key words: Anastrepha, Tephritidae, early adult experience, environmental enrichment, copulation behaviour, population density


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