Rapid wing size evolution in African fig flies () following temperate colonization.

Invasive species often encounter novel selective pressures in their invaded range, and understanding their potential for rapid evolution is critical for developing effective management strategies. is an invasive drosophilid native to Africa that reached Florida in 2005 and likely re-establishes temperate North American populations each year. We addressed two evolutionary questions in this system: first, do populations evolve phenotypic changes in the generations immediately following colonization of temperate environments? Second, does evolve directional phenotypic changes along a latitudinal cline? We established isofemale lines from wild collections across space and time and measured twelve ecologically relevant phenotypes, using a reference population as a control.