Foraging and egg-laying decisions are influenced by socio-sexual conditions in Drosophila melanogaster

In this study we examined the extent of behavioural plasticity in visitation to carbohydrate-rich and protein-rich media in groups of fruit flies, Drosophila melanogaster, where we manipulated the number and composition of social groups.

We found that while male and female flies exhibited differences in their visitations to media, the extent of this sexual dimorphism depended on whether flies were housed in single-sex or mixed-sex groups, suggesting that spatial distribution is affected by both feeding and breeding opportunities. Furthermore, we observed that female flies oviposted more on carbohydrate-rich media when housed in environments with greater intra-sexual competition.