Flies show striking abnormalities in their avoidance response to the olfactory repellents 3-octanol, ethyl acetate and 4-methylcyclohexanol in an olfactory T maze; they show a severely reduced avoidance response. Flies have a normal electroantennogram amplitude in response to ethyl acetate. Neural degeneration is not seen in adult flies, even when aged 3-4 weeks.
Mutant flies do not avoid high concentrations of odours to the same extent as wild type. In the case of ethyl acetate, mutant flies are attracted to concentrations which repel control flies. Mutants also show male-male courtship behaviour.
Homozygotes fail to avoid high concentrations of 4-methylcyclohexanol, 3-octanol and benzaldehyde at the same levels as wild type.
Excision of the P{lacW} element indicates that the dare1 olfactory defects result from the P{lacW} insertion.