Pheromones as a Multicomponent System

In 1964, Wright 196) argued that a multicomponent chemical communication system would be more advantageous than one includ- 

Duffield et al. (200) found that Dufour s gland secretion of Svastra obliqua contains a series of 32 aliphatic esters, while according to Bradshaw the mandibular gland secretion of the weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda consists of 33 chemical entities (201, 202), 

Recently, Francke et al (203) identified for the first time several alkyl-3,4-dihydro-2 H-pyrans (36-41) and alkyl-2,3-4H-pyran-4-ones (42-45) from both solitary and social bees (Apis mellifera, Scaptotrigona bipunctata, Nannotrigona testaceicornia, Plebeia droriana, Partamona cupira and Tetragona clavipes) and from male Hepialus hecta moth. 

The cephalic gland secretion from both sexes of Dufourea inermis and D, minuta also contains a series of multicomponent pheromones. The secretion is composed of sex species-specific blends methyl-carbin-ols and the corresponding long chain carboxylic esters (204), Multicomponent insect pheromones have also been identified in trail (205) and sex pheromones (206, 207). 

Bergstrom (208), has proposed a reason for the complexity of insect chemical secretions which he terms Biochemical-Evolutionary-Readyness . According to this hypothesis, if several compounds are produced by a gland of an insect, they may form a ready made basis for further adaptation to play upon. The adaptation can go in the direction of higher specificity. 

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