Intrapopulational variation in tolerance to desiccation stress has been measured in F1 female individuals of 10 isofemale lines from a locally collected population sample of Drosophila melanogaster. Differences in survival time among the individuals of each isofemale line and also among different isofemale lines are observed. The results are discussed in relation with the eco-temporal situation in India and a possible conclusion on the mechanisms involved in conferring tolerance to desiccation in Indian natural populations of D. melanogaster is drawn.
Desiccation tolerance, intrapopulational variation, Indian Drosophila melanogaster
