title: Reproductive interference by maleDrosophila subobscuraon femaleD. persimilis: A laboratory experiment.
abstract: While females often reject courtship attempts by heterospecific males, reproductive interference by harassment from such males can nonetheless occur, potentially reducing female fitness. Such effects may be profound following a range expansion, when males from a new species may suddenly encounter (and perhaps even become abundant relative to) females of related native species.Drosophila subobscurarecently invaded North America and may impact native species through reproductive interference and other processes. We test for the potential for reproductive interference byD. subobscuramales onD. persimilisfemales in the laboratory.D. subobscuramales aggressively copulated withD. persimilisfemales, including many females that exhibit rejection behaviors. Despite females attempting to dismount the males, the heterospecific copulations are on average longer than conspecific copulations, and females exhibit some reluctance to remate with conspecific males following this harassment. Females confined with both conspecific and heterospecific males produce fewer adult progeny than those with either conspecific males only or with conspecific males and distantly relatedD. simulansmales that do not engage in female harassment. Overall, our results illustrate how reproductive interference by an invasive species can have negative effects on resident natural populations.
authors.affiliation: Biology Department Duke University Durham North California.
authors.forename: Brenda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Manzano-Winkler
authors.affiliation: Biology Department Duke University Durham North California.
authors.forename: Alexander J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hish
authors.affiliation: Biology Department Duke University Durham North California.
authors.forename: Emily K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Aarons
authors.affiliation: Biology Department Duke University Durham North California.
authors.forename: Mohamed A F
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5400-4408
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Noor
keywords: Drosophila persimilis; Drosophila subobscura; invasive species; reproductive interference