Extravagant female sexual display in a Megaselia Rondani species (Diptera: Phoridae)

The behavior of females of a species of Megaselia is described. Females perch on leaves and occasionally "dance", fluttering their wings while rapidly running on the leaf surface. During this dance, they evert bright white abdominal sacs that apparently constitute part of a visual display to attract males. The evolutionary basis of these behaviors is discussed.

本数据集对一种大蚊科物种雌性的行为进行了详细描述。雌性个体常栖息于叶片之上，偶尔会展现出一种‘舞蹈’行为，即在叶片表面快速奔跑的同时扇动翅膀。在此舞蹈过程中，它们会展开明亮的白色腹囊，这些腹囊显然构成了吸引雄性的视觉展示的一部分。关于这些行为的进化基础，本数据集亦进行了深入探讨。