Influence of Age and Mating Status on Pheromone Production in a Powderpost Beetle Lyctus africanus (Coleoptera: Lyctinae)

From Insect Pheromones to Mating Disruption: Theory and Practice

Insects perceive and integrate a hierarchy of visual, chemical and tactile cues for feeding and reproductive purposes, as well as for predator and parasitoid avoidance [...].

Evolutionary importance of intraspecific variation in sex pheromones

Sex pheromones in many insect species are important species-recognition signals that attract conspecifics and inhibit attraction between heterospecifics; therefore, sex pheromones have predominantly been considered to evolve due to interactions between species. Recent research, however, is uncovering roles for these signals in mate choice, and that variation within and between populations can be drivers of species evolution. Variation in pheromone communication channels arises from a combination of context-dependent, condition-dependent, or genetic mechanisms in both signalers and receivers. Variation can affect mate choice and thus gene flow between individuals and populations, affecting species' evolution. The complex interactions between intraspecific and interspecific selection forces calls for more integrative studies to understand the evolution of sex pheromone communication.