Drosophila - A Model Organism for Assessment of Biodiversity

Abstract

A yearlong study wasrnconducted to analyze the altitudinal variation in a population of Drosophilarnon Chamundi hill of Mysuru, Karnataka State, India. A total of 12,837 Drosophilarnflies belonging to 17 species of 3 subgenera were collected at altitudes ofrn680 m, 780 m, 880 m and 980 m. The subgenus Sophophora was predominant with 11rnspecies and subgenus Drosophila; Scaptodrosophila was least representedrnwith only a three species. Altitudinal changes in the population density andrnrelative abundance of different species at different altitude. Therndistributional pattern of species or related group of species was uneven inrnspace and time. D. malerkotliana, D. nasuta and D. neonasuta werernfound in all altitudes and can be considered as dominant species.