Singing is well studied in fruit flies, where it’s key to courtship. A male first catches a female’s attention with pheromones, then chases her, sways his body and then taps her to assess her breeding condition.
Then begins his main performance: serenading her with superfast vibrations of alternating wings. Males have been recorded using three different tempos, reaching up to 6,000bpm – a real show of physical fitness.
A female will take her time appraising the male’s vocal efforts, while he watches avidly for signs of approval, fine-tuning his song if needed. If she likes what she hears, she will pause near the male, leading him to grab her quickly with his forelegs.
