Rains GC, Tomberlin JK, D'Alessandro M, Lewis WJ. Limits of volatile chemical detection of a parasitoid wasp, Microplitis croceipes, and an electronic nose: A comparative study. Transactions of the Asae (original) (raw)

Volatile chemical signals are used by many animals to find food, mates, or hosts. While the keen sense of smell of dogs has been used for centuries, other animals have not been significantly utilized. Recent studies have indicated that many insect species have the ability to learn volatile chemical compounds in association with food or other resources. These insects present a novel approach to volatile chemical detection that could provide a highly sensitive, inexpensive, flexible, and portable sensor. One characteristic of insects that makes them desirable as a potential chemical detector is their ability to detect extremely low levels of chemical compounds. A parasitoid wasp, Microplitis croceipes, was used as the model insect for determining the threshold of response for four compounds: 3-octanone, a compound found in many fungal pathogens; myrcene, a volatile constituent released by cotton plants fed on by cotton bollworms; and putriscene and cadaverine, two products of the brea...