GENETIC VARIATION FOR DISPERSAL BY DROSOPHILA PSEUDOOBSCURA AND DROSOPHILA PERSIMILIS

Louis Bernard Klaczko ¹, Charles E. Taylor ², and Jeffrey R. Powell ¹

¹ Department of Biology (Box 6666), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
² Department of Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90024

Release-recapture experiments using Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. persimilis strains of different karyotypes were performed in a heterogeneous environment. The heterogeneity was due to both spatial variation and the species of yeast used to attract the released flies. No karyotypic-specific habitat preferences were detected. However, in all releases, different strains did behave differently with respect to one or both of the heterogeneous factors. These results indicate there is variation for dispersal behavior in these species that is most likely based on genotype-dependent habitat preferences.