Evidence of female preference for middle aged male in drosophila malerkotliana

Studies of age based female mate preference suggested that female preference for male age in different taxa was found to be mixed and various hypotheses have been proposed with conflicting prediction. The present study in D. malerkotliana noticed that females of all ages preferred to mate with a middle aged males more frequently than young or old males. Further middle aged males showed significantly greater courtship acts to courting females. The female showed least rejection behavior and copulated longer with middle aged male than young or old males. Female mated with middle aged male had produced a significantly greater number of progeny but insignificant variation was found in eggs laid by female mated with different male age classes. Female mated with middle aged male lived shorter. Thus our study in D. malerkotliana shows the occurrence of age based female mate preference and female preferred middle aged male to obtain direct fitness benefits.