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Insect alarm pheromones in response to predators: Ecological trade-offs and molecular mechanisms
- Source :
- Insect biochemistry and molecular biology. 128
- Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- Insect alarm pheromones are chemical substances that are synthesized and released in response to predators to reduce predation risk. Alarm pheromones can also be perceived by predators, who take advantage of alarm cues to locate prey. While selection favors evolution of alarm pheromone signals that are not easily detectable by predators, predator evolution selects for better prey detection ability. Here, we review the diversity of alarm signals, and consider the behavioral and ecological conditions under which they have evolved. We show that components of alarm pheromones are similar across many insects, although aphids exhibit different behavioral responses to alarm cues compared to social insects. The effects of alarm pheromones on prey behavior depend on factors such as the concentration of pheromones and the density of conspecifics. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms of alarm pheromone perception underlying the evolutionary arms race between predators and prey, and the function of olfactory proteins and receptors in particular. Our review provides a novel synthesis of the diversity and function of insect alarm pheromones, while suggesting avenues that might better allow researchers to exploit population-level responses to alarm signaling for the sustainable management of pests and vector-borne pathogens.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Insecta
media_common.quotation_subject
Prey detection
Insect
Biology
01 natural sciences
Biochemistry
Pheromones
Predation
03 medical and health sciences
ALARM
Evolutionary arms race
Animals
Molecular Biology
030304 developmental biology
media_common
0303 health sciences
Ecology
Ants
Bees
Smell
010602 entomology
Insect Science
Kairomone
Sex pheromone
Aphids
Predatory Behavior
Pheromone
Cues
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 18790240
- Volume :
- 128
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Insect biochemistry and molecular biology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....1872b0f55db5104ab20c99e90e1d32e1