Biology Commons^™

Drosophilia Ecology: Food Resource Behavior, Jeffrey John Doolittle

Presidential Scholars Theses (1990 – 2006)

Food preference and choice of oviposition (egg laying) site are critical factors for insects such as Drosophila and affect many aspects of their lives (Jennings and Seager, 1982). Different species of Drosophila fill various niches by making use of a variety of foods, which also affects their seasonal abundances (Shorrocks, 1983). The ability of Drosophila to find the location of a certain food type for egg laying and thus for their larvae affects the survival of their species. Breeding sites and substrates of the flies are chosen on the basis of the food available for the larvae of each species. …