Chemical signaling

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      One of the most important actions in our world is communication with each other. We use this action in our day to day lives for many things, entertaining others, committing transactions in person, starting fights, and conveying our feelings. While we seem to be the only species on earth to have mastered the art of language, other species have also found ways to communicate. Insects for example have been able to communicate to each other through chemical signaling. 


https://www.macmillanhighered.com/BrainHoney/Resource/6716/digital_first_content/trunk/test/hillis2e/hillis2e_ch35_2.html)


    Chemical signaling happens when a user produces chemicals with a strong odor from their body that others of their species can recognize. These chemicals are made in the insects olfactory system and then released into the world(https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130). Unlike the venom in some types of insects the chemicals used in signaling have no harmful properties to them so they can’t be used for combat purposes. The pheromones used in chemical signaling that are produced are species specific so communication can not occur between two different species(https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130). 


    Chemical signaling is a very important part of an insect's life. Like was mentioned before they use this to communicate to others of their colony and species. The uses of this range from socializing to using it as a way to have sex with another (https://entomologytoday.org/2015/01/14/chemicals-used-by-insects-for-communication-may-be-used-to-control-them/). Insects can also, depending on the species, have different chemical cues for different castes of the colony (https://entomologytoday.org/2015/01/14/chemicals-used-by-insects-for-communication-may-be-used-to-control-them/). This helps keep things organized and allows for effective communication among the castes. While being a useful tool for communication among the masses it also has other advantages. Insects also use chemical signaling when they are out in the field to adapt to their surroundings (https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130). The effectiveness of this communication greatly depends on how well the insects can intercept this odor from a certain distance. 

Image result for eight types of insect pheromones(https://www.slideshare.net/Alfa-Chemsitry/insect-pheromone)


   The different chemical pheromones the insects can secrete allow them to set up codes similar to phrases used in the military. There are eight different types of pheromones that insects can produce to cause a reaction among the communicators(https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130). First there are aggregation pheromones which are used to establish if one is ready for mating or if they are off limits(https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/aggregation-pheromone). There are sex pheromones which do the opposite and cause mating among the colony to suppress(https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/sex-pheromone). There are alarm pheromones which are released in response to nearby predators, however predators can evolve to notice these pheromones(https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33359575/). Next there are trail pheromones which are used to make trails, social insects to do this set up routes from the colony to food sources(https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/trail-pheromone). Oviposition pheromones are used to mediate oviposition to take care of diseases transmitted by other insects or gained through ingestion (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0169475895801928#:~:text=Oviposition%20aggregation%20pheromones%20occur%20in%20a%20range%20of,oviposition%20in%20four%20different%20families%20of%20disease%20vectors.). Recruitment pheromones are used to gather groups of individuals in the same colony to perform a task(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recruitment_(biology)). Home recognition pheromones that used to set up a colony nest which inhabitants can find. Finally there are royal pheromones that are used to know when the royalty of the colony is nearby(https://news.ncsu.edu/2018/03/termite-queen-king-recognition-pheromone-identified/#:~:text=More%20specifically%2C%20royal%20pheromones%20used%20by%20queens%20%28and,no%20royal-recognition%20pheromones%20have%20been%20identified%20to%20date.).


References 

“Pheromones and Chemical Communication in Insects” Intechopen, https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130

“Recruitment (biology)” Wikipedia, https://www.intechopen.com/chapters/72130

“Oviposition pheromones in insect vectors” Sciencedirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0169475895801928#:~:text=Oviposition%20aggregation%20pheromones%20occur%20in%20a%20range%20of,oviposition%20in%20four%20different%20families%20of%20disease%20vectors.

“Sex Pheromones” Sciencedirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/sex-pheromone

“Trail Pheromones” Sciencedirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/trail-pheromone

“Aggregation Pheromones” Sciencedirect, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/aggregation-pheromone

“Chemicals Used by Insects for Communication May be Employed to Control Them” Entomology Today, https://entomologytoday.org/2015/01/14/chemicals-used-by-insects-for-communication-may-be-used-to-control-them/

“Termite Queen, King Recognition Pheromone Identified” NC State University, https://news.ncsu.edu/2018/03/termite-queen-king-recognition-pheromone-identified/#:~:text=More%20specifically%2C%20royal%20pheromones%20used%20by%20queens%20%28and,no%20royal-recognition%20pheromones%20have%20been%20identified%20to%20date.

“Insect alarm pheromones in response to predators: Ecological trade-offs and molecular mechanisms” National Center for Biotechnology Information(National Library of Medicine), https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33359575/

“Insect Pheromones” Slideshare, https://www.slideshare.net/Alfa-Chemsitry/insect-pheromone

“The Endocrine and Nervous Systems Play Distinct, Interacting Roles” Macmilanhighered, https://www.macmillanhighered.com/BrainHoney/Resource/6716/digital_first_content/trunk/test/hillis2e/hillis2e_ch35_2.html

"Difference Between Language and Communication" Pediaa, https://pediaa.com/difference-between-language-and-communication/

"Social Insects" NC State University, https://genent.cals.ncsu.edu/bug-bytes/social-insects/


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