Sex attractant pheromones

Definition

Chemical signals produced by one sex of a species to elicit attraction and mate-location behavior in the opposite sex, typically released into the environment and detected at extremely low concentrations by specialized olfactory receptors. In insects, these compounds are usually species-specific blends of volatile molecules produced by glands in the abdomen (females) or head/thorax (males), serving as the primary mechanism for bringing conspecifics together across distances that visual or auditory cues cannot bridge. The specificity of these pheromones often underlies reproductive isolation between closely related species.

Etymology

From Latin 'sexus' (sex) + 'attractant' (drawing toward) + Greek 'pherein' (to carry) + 'hormon' (stimulating).

Example

Female silkworm moths (Bombyx mori) release bombykol, a single compound that attracts males from kilometers downwind; synthetic versions of this and similar sex attractant pheromones are deployed in monitoring traps and mating-disruption programs for lepidopteran crop pests.

Synonyms

• sex pheromones
• mate-attractant pheromones

Related Terms

• aggregation pheromones
• Alarm pheromones
• trail pheromones
• Mating disruption
• olfactory receptor neurons
• pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide
• calling behavior

Usage Notes

Often shortened to 'sex pheromones' in applied contexts, though that term technically encompasses additional functions beyond attraction (e.g., close-range courtship stimulation). Distinct from aggregation pheromones, which attract both sexes. The term is sometimes applied loosely to spider silk-borne attractants and crustacean water-soluble compounds, though 'sex attractant' alone is preferred when the chemical nature is unconfirmed.