DOI: 10.16970/entoted.1827817 ISSN: 1010-6960

Concentration dependent effects of Lactarius deliciosus S.F. Gray (Russulales: Russulaceae) on development and reproduction in Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830 (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Mehmet Fidan
Edible mushrooms contain bioactive compounds that may influence growth and reproduction in model organisms, yet organism-level effects of Lactarius deliciosus S.F. Gray (Russulales: Russulaceae) remain unstudied. This work examines how dietary inclusion of L. deliciosus collected from Çorum, Türkiye in 2025 affects development and reproduction in Oregon R Drosophila melanogaster Meigen, 1830 (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Flies were reared on standard medium supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0%, and 2.0% mushroom powder. Life-history traits assessed included larval development time, pupal viability, adult emergence rate and timing, fecundity, and egg hatchability. Statistical analyses used one-way ANOVA and Tukey's HSD (α=0.05) with effect sizes reported as eta squared. Dietary supplementation with L. deliciosus produced significant, concentration-dependent effects. Larval development time showed the strongest response (η²=0.361, p

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