Laboratory selection of stress-related traits in adult flies of Drosophila melanogaster has resulted in contrasting phenotypes but coevolution of larval traits has received lesser attention. The hypothesis whether laboratory selection of adult body melanization to derive dark and light body color lines exhibit covariation of larval behavioral traits of D. melanogaster was tested. The larvae of selected light lines showed longer foraging path, higher relative feeding rate, and lower pupation height whereas opposite trend values were observed for the larvae of selected dark lines. The larvae of dark lines stored significantly higher level of carbohydrates while light lines stored lipids. Larval pupating behavior of selected dark and light lines also showed divergence. For water balance-related traits, significantly higher trait values in the larvae of selected darker lines were found while lighter body color lines showed greater starvation resistance. Thus, laboratory selection of adult body melanization led to correlated selection responses for larval behavioral traits which are adaptive in nature.

黑腹果蝇成年果蝇应激相关性状的实验室选择导致了对比表型，但幼虫性状的共同进化受到的关注较少。实验室选择成体黑色化以推导出深色和浅色体色线是否表现出黑腹果蝇幼虫行为特征的协变的假设被测试。选择的浅色系的幼虫表现出更长的觅食路径、更高的相对摄食率和更低的化蛹高度，而选择的深色系的幼虫则观察到相反的趋势值。深色系的幼虫储存了显着更高水平的碳水化合物，而浅色系的幼虫储存了脂质。选定的暗线和亮线的幼虫化蛹行为也表现出分歧。对于与水平衡相关的性状，在选定的深色系的幼虫中发现显着更高的性状值，而较浅的体色系显示出更大的抗饥饿性。因此，对成虫身体黑化的实验室选择导致对本质上具有适应性的幼虫行为特征的相关选择反应。