TY - JOUR

T1 - The structure of courtship behavior in Drosophila males: Boundaries of plasticity

AU - Федотов, Сергей Александрович

AU - Гончарова, Анна Александровна

AU - Беседина, Наталья Геннадиевна

AU - Даниленкова, Лариса Владимировна

AU - Камышева, Е. А.

AU - Солодухина, Ульяна Николаевна

AU - Рубель, Александр Анатольевич

AU - Брагина, Ю. В.

N1 - Fedotov S.A., Goncharova A.A., Besedina N.G., Danilenkova L.V. , Kamysheva E.A., Solodukhina U.N., Rubel A.A., Bragina J.V. The structure of courtship behavior in Drosophila males: Boundaries of plasticity // Behavioural Processes. - 2026. - Vol 234. P. 105312. Doi:10.1016/j.beproc.2025.105312

PY - 2026/1

Y1 - 2026/1

N2 - The courtship ritual of Drosophila males toward females has been extensively studied to elucidate the mechanisms of behavioral plasticity in insects. Courtship is an innate, fixed sequence of behaviors that results in mating. The implementation of this instinct involves adjusting specific parameters of the courtship behaviors, such as sound production, to increase the likelihood of successful copulation. Moreover, courtship can be temporarily suppressed following an unsuccessful attempt with a previously mated female. While the neural mechanisms underlying courtship learning are well described, the interaction between male behavioral sequencing and known female-derived determinants of suppression (e.g., cVA from mated females and active rejection behaviors) remains unclear. In our study, we characterized the structure of male courtship towards virgin, mated, and immature females. We found that changes in the frequencies of transitions between courtship behaviors provide adaptive restructuring in the implementation of this ritual. Courtship towards mated females causes males to reinitiate the ritual more frequently, and we hypothesize that repeated unsuccessful initiations may ultimately result in courtship suppression. When courting immature females, males neither attempt copulation nor restart the ritual, which may explain the absence of courtship suppression with this type of female and raises the question of the evolutionary significance of courtship towards immature females.

AB - The courtship ritual of Drosophila males toward females has been extensively studied to elucidate the mechanisms of behavioral plasticity in insects. Courtship is an innate, fixed sequence of behaviors that results in mating. The implementation of this instinct involves adjusting specific parameters of the courtship behaviors, such as sound production, to increase the likelihood of successful copulation. Moreover, courtship can be temporarily suppressed following an unsuccessful attempt with a previously mated female. While the neural mechanisms underlying courtship learning are well described, the interaction between male behavioral sequencing and known female-derived determinants of suppression (e.g., cVA from mated females and active rejection behaviors) remains unclear. In our study, we characterized the structure of male courtship towards virgin, mated, and immature females. We found that changes in the frequencies of transitions between courtship behaviors provide adaptive restructuring in the implementation of this ritual. Courtship towards mated females causes males to reinitiate the ritual more frequently, and we hypothesize that repeated unsuccessful initiations may ultimately result in courtship suppression. When courting immature females, males neither attempt copulation nor restart the ritual, which may explain the absence of courtship suppression with this type of female and raises the question of the evolutionary significance of courtship towards immature females.

KW - Behavioral plasticity

KW - Courtship suppression

KW - Ethogram

KW - Mated and immature females

KW - Transitions between courtship behaviors

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/175c788a-b307-3b9b-a80a-929c8215f9f7/

U2 - 10.1016/j.beproc.2025.105312

DO - 10.1016/j.beproc.2025.105312

M3 - Article

VL - 234

JO - Behavioural Processes

JF - Behavioural Processes

SN - 0376-6357

M1 - 105312

ER -