Authors: Daksha Tigga
Abstract: Drosophila melanogaster serves as an indispensable in vivo model system for mapping how external environmental variations and nutritional inputs dictate physiological adaptations and behavioural choices. This study presents a multi-generational evaluation of how dietary variance (standard cornmeal vs. banana-enriched vs. orange-enriched media) pairs with photoperiodic conditions to modulate ontogeny, locomotor agility, and larval chemotaxis. Across three successive generations (F1–F3), cohorts reared on a nutrient-dense banana medium exhibited accelerated metamorphic transitions and robust pupation rates. Conversely, an orange-supplemented diet delayed developmental milestones and reduced total yield compared to uniform controls. Photoperiodic restrictions (sustained dark phases) consistently decelerated growth metrics and decreased motor output across all dietary groups. Quantifiable behavioural deficits under low-light regimes were verified via negative geotaxis assays, where light-exposed flies displayed markedly superior vertical climbing performance. Furthermore, larval olfactory assays revealed a stark chemotactic bias toward volatile food-derived attractants (ethyl acetate) over aversive ionic stimuli (sodium chloride). Taken together, these data illuminate the complex interplay between systemic metabolic programming and sensory-driven behavioural phenotypes in response to immediate ecosystem shifts.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20741467
