Semiochemistry insect

All of the suborder Symphyta and many species in the superfamily Aculeata in the suborder Apocrita are solitary insects. Although not requiring the complex semiochemistry of parasitic or social insects, solitary insects employ pheromones for mating, territorial marking, and host marking. Unfortunately, very few of these have been chemically identified. The pheromones of sawflies and seed wasps were extensively reviewed in 1999 [ 14]. The semiochemicals recently identified in solitary hymenoptera, discussed below, are summarized in Table 2 and Fig. 1. 

Techniques developed for the identification of insect semiochemicals and the determination of environmental contaminants have been used equally effectively in chemical work on mammals. Some of these methods will therefore be discussed only as far as their application is of particular significance in mammalian semiochemistry. Examples can be found in the literature of cases in which conclusions were drawn from results that were obtained by using inappropriate or, at least, doubtful analytical techniques. A few of the problem areas will be highlighted without giving the relevant literature references. 

Francke, W., Brunnemann, U., Bergmann, J. and Plass, E. (1998). Semiochemistry at junctions Volatile compounds from desert locusts, caddisflies, and geometrid moths. Abstracts of the 2nd International Symposium on Insect Pheromones, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 30 March-3 April 1998. pp. 71-73. 

S. Schulz, Semiochemistry of spiders. In Advances in Insect Chemical Ecology R. T. Carde, J. G. Millar, Eds. Cambridge University Press Cambridge, 2004 pp 110-149. 

Mammalian semiochemistry (Albone, 1984) differs from the analogous study of insects, in which chemistry has played a prominent role, in that mammalian systems are characterized by a greater complexity. Unlike insect chemoreceptors, mammalian olfactory chemoreceptors are not tuned to specific compounds but detect a wide range of substances and odors (which may be associated with quite complex mixtures of compounds) that will be differentiated at a higher level in the nervous system (Shirley, 1984). 

Bone (99) argued that the present knowledge of pheromone mediated behavior in helminthes is similar to that of insect communication over 20 years ago. Thus, insect semiochemistry will be discussed here in greater detail. 

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