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Several studies on diverse Drosophila species have reported higher desiccation resistance of females, but the physiological basis of such sex-specific differences has received less attention. We tested whether sex-specific differences in cuticular traits (melanic females and non-melanic males) of Drosophila kikkawai correspond with divergence in their water balance mechanisms. Our results are interesting in several respects. First, positive clinal variation in desiccation resistance was correlated with cuticular melanisation in females but with changes in cuticular lipid mass in males, despite a lack of differences between the sexes for the rate of water loss. Second, a comparative analysis of water budget showed that females of the northern population stored more body water as well as hemolymph content and exhibited greater dehydration tolerance than flies from the southern tropics. In contrast, we found no geographical variation in the males for water content and dehydration tolerance. Third, an ~10-fold increase in the rate of water loss after organic solvent treatment of male D. kikkawai suggested a role of cuticular lipids in cuticular transpiration, but had no effect in the females. Fourth, geographical differences in the storage of carbohydrate content (metabolic fuel) were observed in females but not in males. Interestingly, in females, the rate of utilization of carbohydrates did not vary geographically, but males from drier localities showed a 50% reduction compared with wetter localities. Thus, body melanisation, increased body water, hemolymph, carbohydrate content and greater dehydration tolerance confer greater desiccation resistance in females, but a reduced rate of water loss is the only possible mechanism to cope with drought stress in males. Finally, acclimated females showed a significant increase in drought resistance associated with higher trehalose content as well as dehydration tolerance, while males showed no acclimation response. Thus, sex-specific differences in desiccation resistance of D. kikkawai are associated with divergence in some water balance strategies, despite a lack of differences in the rate of water loss between the two sexes.

Sex-specific divergence for adaptations to dehydration stress in Drosophila kikkawai