Drosophila endobranchia: Difference between revisions
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==References== |
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*{{cite journal |last= Stensmyr|first= Marcus C|authorlink= |coauthors= Stieber, Regina; Hansson, Bill S|date= [[2008-04-09]]|title= The Cayman Crab Fly Revisited — Phylogeny and Biology of ''Drosophila endobranchia''|journal= [[PLoS ONE]]|volume= 3|issue= 4|pages= e1942|location= |publisher= [[Public Library of Science]]|issn=1817-101X|doi= 10.1371/journal.pone.0001942|id= |url= http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0001942|accessdate= 2008-04-25 |quote= }} |
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==Further reading== |
==Further reading== |
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Revision as of 01:45, 25 April 2008
| Cayman crab fly | |
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| Scientific classification | |
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| Species group: | canalinea species group
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| Species: | D. endobranchia
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| Binomial name | |
| Drosophila endobranchia | |
Drosophila endobranchia is a species of fly in the family Drosophilidae. The species, which is endemic to Grand Cayman, was discovered in 1966 and not found again until 2007, when it was rediscovered in the mouth region of a land crab.[1]
Habitat
Like most drosophilid flies, D. endobranchia feeds on microbes. Peculiarly, this and two other species have colonized land crabs. While the Christmas Island fly Lissocephala powelli lives on both Brachyuran and Anomuran crabs (for example Birgus latro, the robber crab), D. endobranchia and the closely related D. carcinophila live on Gecarcinid crabs such as the black Gecarcinus ruricola and the red G. lateralis. D. endobranchia prefers G. ruricola. One reason could be that G. lateralis digs its own burrows, which could lead to problems for the flies living on its surface.
Biology
D. endobranchia is closely associated with its crab host, with one to six flies found per infected crab. Adults hardly move at all, let alone fly, and are extremely reluctant to leave their fast-paced host. Courting and mating take place on the crab, and territories are defended between males. The eggs are placed around the crab's eyes. The hatched larvae migrate to the nephric pads and feed on microbes responsible for cleansing urine from nitrogenous compounds. From the second instar on, the larvae migrate to the gill chamber, where they stay up to several months. At the third instar they return to the mouth parts where they form a halo around the mouth opening. They later fall to the ground to pupate.
At least two three quarters of adult D. endobranchia found on land crabs were males. It is not clear whether this species has a skewed sex ratio, or whether females only visit crabs, or frequently switch host crabs.
Host crabs are found using olfactory cues, but the substance or substances responsible for this are not known.
Conservation
Habitat destruction and hunting pose a threat to the long term survival of black crabs on Grand Cayman, and thus also to their fly guests. It has therefore been proposed to classify host and guest as vulnerable.
Footnotes
- ^ Stensmyr et al. 2008
References
- Stensmyr, Marcus C (2008-04-09). "The Cayman Crab Fly Revisited — Phylogeny and Biology of Drosophila endobranchia". PLoS ONE. 3 (4). Public Library of Science: e1942. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001942. ISSN 1817-101X. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
Further reading
- Carson, Hampton L. & Wheeler, Marshall R. (1968): Drosophila endobranchia, a new drosophilid associated with land crabs in the West Indies. Ann Entomol Soc Am. 61: 675–678.
- Carson HL (1974): Three Flies and Three Islands: Parallel Evolution in Drosophila. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101: 3517–3521. PMID 4530320 PMC 433805