In female flies, sex is more complex than yes or no
New research reveals the neural subtleties underlying a seemingly simple response
By Bethany Brookshire, 17:01 PM July 14, 2014
When it comes to mating, male fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) put on quite the display. Coming across a likely female, a male will follow her around, exude pheromones, play a song on one wing and lick and tap at her genitalia. The female fly will then decide whether to mate. The neural circuits that underlie male mating behavior have been studied for many years. But female fly mating circuits have remained more mysterious, in part because female behavior during mating seemed more passiv...
Source URL: https://www.sciencenews.org/blog/scicurious/female-flies-sex-more-complex-yes-or-no?mode=blog&context=131