Polak & McEvey: Copulation Duration Data in Drosophila

Copulation duration data (in minutes) in Drosophila parabipectinata and D. bipectinata. Males were either surgically altered or not. Surgical alteration consisted of laser ablation of approximately 1/3 to 1/2 the terminal ends of both aedeagal lateral processes of the genitalia of individual male flies. After surgery males were allowed to mate with virgin females of their respective species. Start and end times of copulation were recorded and copulation duration calculated. Immediately after copulation, females were anesthetized and dissected to check for sperm within their reproductive tracts. It was ascertained whether the sperm mass occurred as a single mass, or whether there was an indication that it occurred as two discernible units. In all cases, the mass occurred as a single, highly integrated mass of sperm. The data align with the hypothesis that the sperm are transferred to the female via the male aedeagus; the data are inconsistent with the assertion of traumatic insemination in these species within the bipectinata complex.