Topics in the evolution of sexual behavior in the tephritidae

The sex lives of the Tephritidae are wonderfully various. They range in complexity from males that couple after little preliminary courtship signaling to those that produce a repertoire of acoustic, pheromone, and visual displays, and from females that make few precopulatory mate choices to those that have information about potential mates broadcast to them via several different channels. There are instances of licking, transfer of regurgitants, bright coloration, feathered legs, and reflective setae. Beneath the often splendid surfaces are a variety of phallic structures, vaginas, and sperm storage organs, which might respectively represent organs of communication and the mechanisms of copulatory or postcopulatory mate choice. This wealth of diversity superimposed upon a common theme makes fruit flies ideal subjects for studies, particularly comparative studies, that attempt to illuminate the evolution of mate choice and sexual competition.