Kairomones pheromones acting

It has been believed that pheromones act only as pheromones of a certain species. Recent studies have revealed that pheromones act also as kairomones for the predators against the pheromone releasers. Two examples are given below. 

Chemicals directly involved in the ecological relationship between organisms are called ecochemicals, ecomones, or semiochemicals those acting between different species are called kairomones, allomones, or allelochemics, while those acting within the same species are called pheromones. 

In this chapter we concentrate on hormones, pheromones, and kairomons. Toxicants, such as the dioxins and the many poisons, act by interfering with the signal systems, causing cells to divide. The can also cause genes to transcribe RNA, as well as the nerve poisons and interfere with the action of signal molecules. This is described in other chapters. 

Behavior-modifying compounds are divided into two broad categories — pheromones and allelochemicals. A pheromone is a substance secreted by an animal that influences the behavior or development of other animals of the same species. The term was suggested by Butenandt, Karlson, and Liischer in 1959 (Butenandt et al., 1959 Karlson and Butenandt, 1959 Karlson and Liischer, 1959). Allelochemicals act between different species and are often called kairomones, provided that the recipient has an advantage by sensing the substance. If the substance only benefits the emitter species, the allelochemical is called an allomone, and if both emitter and receiver are benefited, the allelochemical is known as a synomone. The scent from flowers that attracts bees may therefore be called synomone. 

Long-range cues important in potential host community location and host location may emanate from the host, its food, shelter, or associated organisms. Short-range cues important in host location, examination, ovipositor probing, drilling and acceptance usually come from the host. Further, the same source and chemical may act as a pheromone in one context and a kairomone or synomone in others. 

The responses of parasites and predators of bark beetles to the pheromones of their hosts are well known, but only in a few instances have they been defined through experimentation. Pheromones interpreted and exploited by parasites and predators are also acting as kairomones, because the adaptive benefit accrues to the receiver rather than the emitter (Borden, 1977 Brown et al., 1970), i.e., the kairomonal response results in predators or parasites arriving at trees simultaneously with large numbers of their prey. 

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