Ecdysis triggering hormone receptors regulate male courtship behavior via antennal lobe interneurons in Drosophila

•ETHR silencing in antennal lobe interneurons elevates male-male courtship.•ETHR silencing in fruitless neurons increases male-male courtship.•JH deficiency does not cause elevated male-male courtship.•Genes for axon guidanceand chemosensory functions are differentially expressed.•ETHR signaling regulates Drosophila courtship via antennal lobe chemosensory processing. Ecdysis triggering hormone receptors (ETHR) regulate the behavioral sequence necessary for cuticle shedding. Recent reports have documented functions for ETHR signaling in adult Drosophila melanogaster. In this study, we report that ETHR silencing in local interneurons of the antennal lobes and fruitless neurons leads to sharply increased rates of male-male courtship. RNAseq analysis of ETHR knockdown flies reveals differential expression of genes involved in axon guidance, courtship behavior and chemosensory functions. Our findings indicate an important role for ETHR in regulation of Drosophila courtship behavior through chemosensory processing in the antennal lobe.