Drosophila sechellia

Drosophila sechellia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Diptera
Family: Drosophilidae
Genus: Drosophila
Subgenus: Sophophora
Species group: melanogaster group
Species subgroup: melanogaster subgroup
Species: D. sechellia
Binomial name
Drosophila sechellia
Tsacas and Baechli, 1981

Drosophila sechellia is a species of fruit fly, used in lab studies of speciation because can mate with Drosophila simulans.

Drosophila sechellia is endemic to (some of) the Seychelles, and was one of 12 fruit fly genomes sequenced for a large comparative study.[1]

Morinda fruit

Drosophila sechellia are known to preferentially lay eggs on toxic Morinda fruits. Research has shown that a mutation in the gene that inhibits egg production is associated with a reduction in L-DOPA; L-DOPA is a precursor of the fertility-regulating hormone dopamine. Morinda fruits are rich in L-DOPA, owing to their usually insecticidal capacities. Drosophila sechellia fertility is reliant on the L-DOPA found in Morinda fruit, and as a result Drosophila sechellia reproduces solely on these toxic fruits.[2]

References

  1. ↑ Drosophila 12 Genomes Consortium; et al. (2007). "Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny". Nature. 450 (7167): 203–218. doi:10.1038/nature06341. PMID 17994087.
  2. ↑ "Toxic fruits hold the key to reproductive success". Max-Planck-Gesellschaft. December 9, 2014.


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