ABSTRACT
In insects all chemoreceptors are cuticular structures in which the internal communication system, that is the nervous system via its neural extensions, makes direct contact with the animal’s outside world. Plants and animals, during millions of years of living together, have developed a large array of chemicals which play a role in intricate ecological interactions between myriads of species. The ultimate goal in an insect’s life, the production of offspring, requires finding a mating partner, small-sized like itself, and often at a relatively large distance. Many insects show remarkably strong food specializations, putting high demands on the senses involved in food recognition. Insects, on the contrary, have developed during evolution a combination of receptors allowing them to distinguish optimally between food plants and nonfood plants. Many students using different insects have shown that behavioral responses may be changed. Entomologists are ready to accept the challenge and to apply insights on the function of semiochemicals in nature to control insects.
