ith danger.
Like the larvae, adult fruit flies can learn to prefer
odors associated with food and to avoid odors associated
with danger. The adults can also learn to avoid
light sources of distinct frequencies associated with
aversive states (shock or violent shaking) and to avoid
flying toward visual patterns associated with high
temperature. In short, adult fruit flies can learn about
odors, colors, and visual patterns associated with either
food or danger. Much of the adult life, however, is
concerned with reproduction. Traditional accounts
of insect reproductive behavior assumed that such
behavior is innate. Indeed, some aspects of fruit fly
sexual behavior are considered to be fully under genetic
control. For example, an important component of male
courtship is the ‘love song’, generated through wing
vibration. The females carefully evaluate the male’s
song and reject males who do not meet strict speciesspecific
and quality criteria. Current evidence indicates
that the execution of the males’ song is not affected
by learning. The males, however, do show adaptive
learning in the context of courtship.
To maximize their reproductive su