Final Exam Flashcards
What is AMP?
Adenosine monophosphate (derived from ATP) is an important intracellular chemical messenger
What are semiochemicals?
Chemicals used for communication
What is the most well-known semiochemical?
Pheromones
What are pheromones?
Volatile substances that influence behaviour or development of other members of the same species
Do insects use pheromones?
Yes! Pheromones are the predominat means of communication among insects (especially social insects)
How are pheromones usually distributed?
Pheromones are usually air bourne (travelling slowly)
What is the first type of pheromone used in insects
Sex Pheromones
What are the two types of sex pheromones?
Sex attraction pheromones (used for arousal and produced by only one sex) and courtship pheromones (employed prior to mating)
Which gender usually produces sex attraction pheromone?
Usually the female does to arouse the male
How can courtship pheromones be manipulated?
Can be used for pest control or prey capture
What is the second type of insect pheromone?
Trail pheromones
What are trail pheromones?
Short-lived pheromones used to lay down an odour trial for members to follow (not species specific). They can be detected at very low concentrations
What is the third type of insect pheromone?
Alarm Pheromones
What are alarm pheromones?
Used by very social insects. Volatile, non-persistent compounds that are readily dispersed. Attract aggressive workers for attack and defense
What is the fourth type of insect pheromone?
Aggregation pheromones
What are aggregation pheromones?
Causes both sexes of an insect to swarm and gather towards the source of the pheromone.
What are the applications of aggregation pheromones?
Added protection against predators, using a scarce food source, bringing together of members of the same species, increased mating opportunity, and hibernation
What is the fifth type of insect pheromone?
Spacing Pheromones
What are spacing pheromones?
Pheromones that work contrary to aggregation pheromones. Encourages spacing out of colonies
What is the sixth type of insect pheromone?
Individual and group recognition
What are recognition pheromones?
Used to identify if an insect belongs to their specific colony
What is the seventh type of insect pheromone (last one)?
Caste determination
What are caste determination pheromones?
Polymorphism accompanied by a difference in a behaviour
What are other types of semiochemicals?
Allomones, synomones, and kairomone