Divergent selection on behavioural and chemical traits between reproductively isolated populations of Drosophila melanogaster

Speciation is driven by traits that can act to prevent mating between nascent lineages, including male courtship and female preference for male traits. Mating barriers involving these traits evolve quickly because there is strong selection on males and females to maximize reproductive success, and the tight co‐evolution of mating interactions can lead to rapid diversification of sexual behaviour. Populations of Drosophila melanogaster show strong asymmetrical reproductive isolation that is correlated with geographic origin. Using strains that capture natural variation in mating traits, we ask two key questions: which specific male traits are females selecting, and are these traits under divergent sexual selection? These questions have proven extremely challenging to answer, because even in closely related lineages males often differ in multiple traits related to mating behaviour. We address these questions by estimating selection gradients for male courtship and cuticular hydrocarbons for two different female genotypes. We identify specific behaviours and particular cuticular hydrocarbons that are under divergent sexual selection and could potentially contribute to premating reproductive isolation. Additionally, we report that a subset of these traits are plastic; males adjust these traits based on the identity of the female genotype they interact with. These results suggest that even when male courtship is not fixed between lineages, ongoing selection can act on traits that are important for reproductive isolation.