Foraging behavior and fitness of Drosophila melanogaster on nutritive sugars

Description

The study elucidates Drosophila feeding behavior and associated fitness of both the larvae and the adult flies. In addition, larvicidal activity and pupation rate of Anopheles stephensi is presented. Dataset 1: Digging Experiment: Drosophila melanogaster larvae were placed on 5% and 25% of an individual sugar at a substrate (agarose) concentration of 0.5%, 1.0% or 1.5%. The length dug was measured in mm. Dataset 2: Exploratory behaviour Experiment: Drosophila melanogaster larvae were placed in a petri plate with 8 patches of either 5% or 25% of individual sugar. Number of pink patches were counted and indicated here. Dataset 3: Survival of Drosophila larvae when grown on 5% or 25% of an individual sugar. Combined number of surviving larvae among all the replicates in each experiment is indicated. Dataset 4: Time taken (in Days) for pupation of Drosophila larvae when grown on 5% or 25% of an individual sugar. 10 larvae per replicate and 3 replicates per experiment were shown. Data for 3 independent experiments. Dataset 5: Time taken (in Days) for eclosion of Drosophila larvae when grown on 5% or 25% of an individual sugar. 10 larvae per replicate and 3 replicates per experiment were shown. Data for 3 independent experiments. Dataset 6: Survival of Drosophila Male adult flies when grown on 5% or 25% of an individual sugar. 5 flies per replicate and 4 replicates per experiment were shown. Combinbed data for 20 flies from 3 independent experiments were shown. Dataset 7: Survival of Drosophila Female adult flies when grown on 5% or 25% of an individual sugar. 5 flies per replicate and 4 replicates per experiment were shown. Combinbed data for 20 flies from 3 independent experiments were shown. Dataset 8: Larvicidal activity of Anopheles stephensi when grown on 5% or 10% of Galactose (Gal) or Lactose (Lac). A total of 25 larvae per replicate and 4 replicates per experimental group was used and deaths from each replicate per group is shown. Data of deaths Dataset 9: Pupation rate of mosquito larvae when grown on 5% or 10% of Galactose (Gal) or Lactose (Lac). A total of 25 larvae per replicate and 4 replicates per experimental group was used and pupation from each replicate per group is shown. Data of pupation from 3 independent experiments is shown.

Steps to reproduce

For foraging analysis, alamar blue based method was developed and applied. For functional analysis, fruit fly larvae or adult flies were cultured in one of the six nutritive sugars. For translational application, galactose and lactose were tested on the larvae of anapholes stephensi.

Categories

Funders

• ANRF, India

  Grant ID: ANRF/PAIR/2025/000012/PAIR-A

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