Mating success in fruit flies: courtship interference versus female choice

The outcomes of sexual selection often differ when mating success is determined by male contest rather than female choice. Many studies, however, inferred sexual selection driven by female choice without carefully assessing the role of subtle male aggression. Relying on close-up video analyses, we documented novel courtship interference between male fruit flies, a key model system in research on sexual selection, sexual conflict and speciation. …