Data from: Differences in larval nutritional requirements and female oviposition preference reflect the order of fruit colonization of Zaprionus indianus and Drosophila simulans

Species coexist using the same nutritional resource by partitioning it either in space or time, but few studies explore how species-specific nutritional requirements allow partitioning. Zaprionus indianus and Drosophila simulans co-exist in figs by invading the fruit at different stages; Z. indianus colonizes ripe figs, whereas D. simulans oviposits in decaying fruit. Larvae feed on yeast growing on the fruit, which serves as their primary protein source. Because yeast populations increase as fruit decays, we find that ripe fruit has lower protein content than rotting fruit. Therefore, we hypothesized that Z. indianus and D. simulans larvae differ in their dietary requirements for protein. We used nutritional geometry to assess the effects of protein and carbohydrate concentration in the larval diet on life history characters in both species. Survival, development time, and ovariole number respond differently to the composition of the larval diet, with Z. indianus generally performing better across a wider range of protein concentrations. Correspondingly, we found that Z. indianus females preferred to lay eggs on low protein foods, while D. simulans females chose higher protein foods for oviposition when competing with Z. indianus. We propose the different nutritional requirements and oviposition preference of these two species allows them to temporally partition their habitat.物种可通过对共享营养资源进行空间或时间分区实现共存，但鲜有研究探讨物种特异性营养需求如何介导此类资源分区过程。印度斑翅果蝇（Zaprionus indianus）与拟暗果蝇（Drosophila simulans）通过侵染榕果的不同发育阶段而在该生境中共存：印度斑翅果蝇偏好定植成熟榕果，而拟暗果蝇则在腐烂榕果上产卵。二者幼虫均以榕果表面生长的酵母为食，酵母是其主要蛋白质来源。由于酵母种群随榕果腐烂而增殖，成熟榕果的蛋白质含量较腐烂榕果更低。据此我们提出假设：印度斑翅果蝇与拟暗果蝇的幼虫对蛋白质的膳食需求存在差异。我们采用营养几何学（nutritional geometry）方法，评估幼虫日粮中蛋白质与碳水化合物浓度对两个物种生活史性状的影响。存活率、发育时长与卵巢管数量对幼虫日粮组成的响应存在物种间差异，印度斑翅果蝇在更广的蛋白质浓度范围内通常表现更优。相应地，我们发现印度斑翅果蝇雌虫偏好于在低蛋白质食物上产卵；而在与印度斑翅果蝇发生种间竞争时，拟暗果蝇雌虫则会选择高蛋白质食物进行产卵。我们认为，这两个物种的营养需求差异与产卵偏好，使其能够通过时间生态位分化实现生境分区共存。