Genotype-specific habitat selection for oviposition sites in the cactophilic species Drosophila buzzatii.

Isofemale lines of the cactophilic species, Drosophila buzzatii, exhibit genetic variation for their oviposition response to cactus yeast species in the laboratory. In general, interactions between yeast species preclude the use of pairwise preferences as predictors of preferences in three-way choice experiments. Two isofemale lines with relatively high laboratory preference for ovipositing on the yeast Pichia cactophila (as opposed to Cryptococcus cereanus) and two isofemale lines with relatively low preference for P. cactophila were used in a series of field release experiments to determine if laboratory preferences were also realized under field conditions. The influence of yeast species on both settling behaviour (long-distance response) and oviposition preference (short-distance response) were tested. The four lines were identical in their settling behaviour, preferring P. cactophila. The analysis of the oviposition preference tests showed significant line effects which correlated with the laboratory results. Thus a genetic component for oviposition preference under laboratory and field conditions was demonstrated and this strengthens the evidence for genotype-specific habitat selection in D. buzzatii. One low line, however, did not differ significantly from the two high lines under field conditions. A laboratory retest of this low line showed that the laboratory preference had not changed. The reason for the difference in the two situations is unknown but undoubtedly is attributable to uncontrolled variables under the field situation. Settling behaviour and oviposition response, in general, appear to be proximately linked to differences in the volatiles produced by the different yeast species.