Some Quantitative Features of Drosophila Sternite Bristle Patterns

Abstract

The arrangement of bristles on the third sternite of D. melanogaster is characterized by a tendency towards even spacing between bristles. There are postero-anterior and latero-medial gradients of increasing density, of decreasing distance between nearest neighbours and of decreasing bristle length. A large bristle tends to be constantly positioned in each posterior-lateral 'corner' of the sternite.