Primary Assay — Drosophila
Courtship Assay
Drosophila melanogaster
Drosophila courtship is a stereotyped behavioral sequence: orientation → following → wing extension (song) → licking → attempted copulation. The courtship index (CI) is the standard measure.
Quantitative Output
Measured Parameters
Every parameter is automatically tracked frame-by-frame in the ConductVision pipeline for Drosophila melanogaster.
| Parameter | Unit | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Courtship index (CI) | ratio (0-1) | Fraction of observation time spent courting |
| Wing extension frequency | events/min | Song production rate |
| Copulation latency | s | Time from introduction to mating |
| Copulation success | % | Proportion of pairs that mate |
| Licking/tapping events | count | Chemosensory contact behaviors |
References
Citations for Courtship Assay
- Hall JC. (1994). The mating of a fly. Science, 264(5166), 1702-1714. PMID: 8209251
- Villella A, Hall JC. (2008). Neurogenetics of courtship and mating in Drosophila. Adv Genet, 62, 67-184. PMID: 19010254
- Sokolowski MB. (2001). Drosophila: genetics meets behaviour. Nat Rev Genet, 2(11), 879-890. PMID: 11715043
Compatible Equipment
Hardware for Drosophila Research
Drosophila Activity Monitor (DAM)
Circadian activity and sleep
Climbing Assay Vials (RING)
Negative geotaxis
T-maze (Drosophila)
Olfactory learning and memory
Courtship Chambers
Mating behavior
Aggression Arenas
Fighting behavior
Fly Flight Tester
Flight ability screening
Related Assays
Other Drosophila Primary Assays
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RING / Negative Geotaxis (Climbing Assay)
Drosophila melanogaster
Flies are tapped to the bottom of a vial and their climbing ability is recorded. The Rapid Iterative Negative Geotaxis (…
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Circadian Activity Monitoring (DAM System)
Drosophila melanogaster
Individual flies in glass tubes; infrared beam breaks record locomotor activity over days-weeks. Quantifies circadian rh…
04
Olfactory T-maze Learning
Drosophila melanogaster
Flies are trained to associate one odor with electric shock and tested for avoidance in a T-shaped choice point. Foundat…
Run Courtship Assay on ConductVision
Our team will configure the protocol, camera rig, and analysis pipeline for your drosophila facility.
