ABSTRACT
Extensive literature reviews of dacine ecology and biology have been published by Christenson and Foote (1960), Bateman (1972), Fletcher (1987b), Drew (1989), and Fletcher and Prokopy (1991). In keeping with the theme of this book,
Fruit Flies
(
Tephritidae
)
: Phylogeny and Evolution of Behavior,
this chapter is not designed to be another such review but rather a discussion on those aspects of dacine behavior and biology that will help us to assess trends in the evolution of species and thus phylogenetic relationships. In particular, this chapter is designed to provide a thematic basis for the discussions in Drew and Hancock, Chapter 19, on the phylogenetic relationships in the Dacini.
