A high proportion of mutant males do not court females over a 10 minute observation time in a courtship assay under dark ("red light") conditions. For those mutant males that do court females, the courtship latency is increased and the courtship index is decreased compared to wild-type. These defects are specific to male-female interactions, as naturally occurring male-male courtship interactions are not statistically different in mutant and wild-type males.

Under normal white light conditions, the proportion of mutant males that court females in a 10 minute observation time in a courtship assay is not significantly different from wild type. Under these conditions, for those males that court females the courtship latency is normal, but the courtship index is significantly reduced compared to controls.

Mutant males show a reduced response to the female-specific pheromone 7(Z), 11(Z)-heptacosadiene (7,11-HD) compared to control males in an assay using "perfumed" target flies (males or females which were first washed three times to remove as much endogenous pheromone as possible and then treated with 7,11-HD).

ppk23^c03836 flies exhibit a wild-type water-elicited proboscis extension reflex.