Experimental Approaches to Hormones and Behavior: Invertebrates

The extreme diversity of this large group of animals not only poses challenges in that the physiology of most invertebrate species is unknown, but also offers opportunities in the form of narrow and broad comparative studies. Research has focused on insects, in reflection of their economic importance. Most classic and molecular techniques developed for studies of hormone–behavior relationships in vertebrates can be adapted for use in insects, although the small size of many species limits determination of the temporal profile of hormone secretion. The sequencing and annotation of invertebrate genomes has led to the recognition that many invertebrate endocrine signals (such as the insulin-like peptides) and their receptors are homologs of signals and receptors found in vertebrates.