Sofia Coradini Schirmer, Thomas Christopher Rhys Williams, Jefferson Brendon Almeida Dos Reis
{"title":"Ontogenetic shifts in the metabolomic profiles of Battus polydamas (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Troidini) Feeding on Aristolochia gigantea.","authors":"Sofia Coradini Schirmer, Thomas Christopher Rhys Williams, Jefferson Brendon Almeida Dos Reis","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01769-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-026-01769-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insect development involves profound physiological reorganization that can alter the assimilation and allocation of metabolites across life stages. In herbivorous insects, these processes are tightly linked to diet-derived chemical exposure, yet how metabolic organization shifts throughout ontogeny remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated ontogenetic metabolomic variation in Battus polydamas feeding on Aristolochia gigantea, a system characterized by a specialized ecological interaction between insect and host plant. We examined how chemical profiles vary across larval, pupal, and adult stages, as well as in the host plant and larval frass, to determine whether metamorphosis is associated with stage-specific reorganization of the insect metabolome. Multivariate analyses revealed clear separation among sample types, and PERMANOVA confirmed significant differences among groups. Pupae and adult bodies showed the greatest similarity, whereas plant and frass formed distinct clusters. Wings exhibited a differentiated metabolomic profile. Molecular networking revealed a diverse set of primary and secondary metabolites, including carbohydrates, amino acids, phenolics, fatty acids, and sterol-related compounds. Nine metabolites differed significantly among plant, insect stages, and frass. Lipid- and sterol-related compounds showed stage-specific variation, particularly in pupae and wings, while phenolic derivatives and fatty acids distinguished insect tissues from plant and frass samples. Frass displayed marked chemical divergence, consistent with differential assimilation and metabolic processing. In summary, the metabolomic profile of B. polydamas is reorganized across ontogeny, reflecting stage-specific patterns of metabolite retention and transformation throughout development.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149224166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Enakshi Ghosh, Vincent S Pan, Ian Pearse, Paul J Ode
{"title":"Herbivore Immunity Exhibits a Biphasic Relationship with Plant Defense Toxin Concentrations.","authors":"Enakshi Ghosh, Vincent S Pan, Ian Pearse, Paul J Ode","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01772-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01772-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant chemical defenses are known to influence herbivore performance, yet their effects on herbivore immunity are poorly understood. In this study, we manipulated both the mean and variance of the concentration of a plant toxin in an artificial diet to assess the effects on herbivore immune function and survival. Our results revealed a biphasic immune response across increasing mean toxin concentrations, with exposure to low toxin concentrations enhancing immune function, creating a 'window of enhanced immunity', and exposure to higher concentrations suppressing it relative to toxin-free diets. Encountering variable toxin levels may alter this relationship by mixing toxin levels from within and outside this window. Importantly, we found that when the mean toxin concentration is just outside of the window of enhanced immunity, exposure to low variability in toxin concentrations enhanced herbivore immunocompetence compared to when they were exposed to high or no variation. Elevated immunity correlated with increased survival under pathogen challenge.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13658300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carrie F Olson-Manning, Sneha Acharya, Lara Matuck, Gabriela Rabboni, Madelyn Sliper, Scott Shlanta, Andrew Berntson, Jacob Mills, Daniel Street, Beau Brock, Lilian Derynck, Kiera Kuiper, Steven L Matzner, Sydney N Muller
{"title":"Monarch Performance and Cardenolide Sequestration Decline on Naturally Derived Hybrid Milkweeds (Asclepias syriaca x speciosa).","authors":"Carrie F Olson-Manning, Sneha Acharya, Lara Matuck, Gabriela Rabboni, Madelyn Sliper, Scott Shlanta, Andrew Berntson, Jacob Mills, Daniel Street, Beau Brock, Lilian Derynck, Kiera Kuiper, Steven L Matzner, Sydney N Muller","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01774-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01774-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Plant hybridization often alters herbivore-relevant traits, yet the effects of hybrid feeding on specialist herbivores, especially those that co-opt host-plant defenses, are largely unknown. We examined how naturally derived hybrids between Asclepias syriaca and A. speciosa (A. syriaca x speciosa) affect monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) performance and cardenolide sequestration. Across three independent greenhouse experiments, monarch caterpillars reared on genetically heterogeneous A. syriaca x speciosa hybrid milkweeds grew more slowly than caterpillars reared on either parental species. Monarchs reared on hybrids also, on average, sequestered lower total cardenolide concentrations into adult tissues. However, plant measures of cardenolide chemistry did not differ significantly among parental and hybrid host groups, and measured physical defenses (trichome and latex) showed only partial differences among groups, and none in the expected direction. Element analyses of plant leaf tissue, although preliminary, revealed a negative relationship between caterpillar growth and manganese level, with hybrids containing between two- to three-fold higher levels of manganese as either parent species. These results indicate that host-plant hybridization can alter both specialist herbivore performance and acquired chemical defense, even when broad measures of host defenses do not explain those effects. Hybridization may therefore influence plant-herbivore interactions not only by changing host quality, but also by altering how specialist herbivores acquire plant-derived defenses.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13652886/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149148331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Z Hiadlovská, B Vošlajerová Bímová, K Daniszová, N Martínková, I Pospíšilová, K Janotová, L Ďureje, M Macholán
{"title":"Social Context Alters Chemical Signalling and Endocrine Profiles in Two Mouse Subspecies.","authors":"Z Hiadlovská, B Vošlajerová Bímová, K Daniszová, N Martínková, I Pospíšilová, K Janotová, L Ďureje, M Macholán","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01768-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01768-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chemical signalling and endocrine state are known to covary with social environment, but the speed of their response to social transitions under natural conditions remains unclear. We examined how major urinary proteins (MUPs) and faecal steroid hormone metabolites respond to shifts between solitary housing and a complex social setting in two house mouse subspecies, Mus musculus musculus and M. m. domesticus. Using repeated sampling in semi-natural enclosures, we measured MUP, testosterone, and corticosterone metabolite concentrations across three contexts: before social exposure, during the social phase, and after return to isolation. Reproductive output was quantified within a 44-day window around each sampling event. Entry into the enclosures triggered a strong, coordinated response: urinary MUP concentrations increased in both sexes and subspecies, paralleled by rises in testosterone and corticosterone metabolites during early social exposure. In males, this pattern reversed quite quickly after removal, with MUPs and both hormone metabolites declining within 24 h of renewed isolation. Under stable social conditions, urinary MUP concentrations increased with current reproductive output, whereas testosterone and corticosterone metabolites showed no such association. MUP concentrations were also unrelated to either hormone, suggesting that socially responsive MUP investment is not directly coupled to steroid levels. Despite baseline differences between subspecies and the expected male bias in MUP production, the main context-dependent patterns were consistent across taxa. Our results demonstrate pronounced social plasticity in chemical signalling and endocrine state, and indicate that MUP concentrations more closely reflect reproductive outcomes than steroid metabolite concentrations.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Eavesdropping Kairomone Markers of Interspecific Communication in Predatory and Parasitic Arthropods: A Review.","authors":"Pascal Osa Aigbedion-Atalor, Arieta Faaulu, Vanessa Goodman, Benard Malenge, Nami Moennich, Bashiru Adams, Pascal Mahukpe Ayelo","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01767-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01767-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Interspecific chemical communication in insects is quintessential in mediating ecological interactions across trophic levels. Kairomones are semiochemicals emitted by one species (the emitter) and are inadvertently beneficial to another species (the receiver). These chemical markers are particularly critical in prey-predator or host-parasitoid relationships, such as host/prey location and selection. Host/prey bodies and their by-products emit pheromones, volatile and non-volatile cuticular compounds, and induce plant volatiles by oviposition, zoophytophagy, and herbivory, which are copious sources of kairomone signaling. Advances in analytical chemistry and behavioral ecology have enabled the identification and synthesis of such kairomones for integration into integrated pest management (IPM) systems. As semiochemicals are ubiquitous in insects, the literature is robust, and prior reviews often focus on a subset of applications. Here, we aim to consolidate the breadth of current and emerging knowledge on plant- and insect-derived kairomones and highlight their diverse origins, significance in host/prey selection and behavioral orientation, and high specificity in multitrophic interactions. We discuss the compatibility of kairomone-based tools with novel agricultural technologies for pest control, suggesting their potential to enhance crop protection while reducing reliance on broad-spectrum pesticides. We also delineate the limitations of such tools for future research efforts and the feasibility of sampling realistic field headspace volatiles, rather than in laboratories, to identify kairomones, and the formulation of kairomone blends that attract multiple natural enemies simultaneously, rather than kairomones for single natural enemy species, which currently dominate the literature. Most experimental field studies tested kairomones as a standalone pest control tool. We emphasize that combining kairomone use with other IPM components, such as natural enemy-rewarding plants (attract and reward), push-pull companion plants, and beneficial microbial inoculants, would be beneficial. Although complexities abound in formulating and synthesizing kairomones, applying kairomones remains a frontier in sustainable pest management, and opportunities for optimization and integration into IPM programs are abundant.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ashlyn Austin, Adrian D Manning, Todd A Gillam, Anton Blencowe
{"title":"Odour Profiling for Animal Management and Behavioural Manipulation: An Overview of the Tools and Applications.","authors":"Ashlyn Austin, Adrian D Manning, Todd A Gillam, Anton Blencowe","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01770-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01770-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Olfaction plays a prominent role in the evolution of animal behaviour, facilitating both intraspecies and interspecies communication, and predator-prey interactions. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) underpin these odours, and their analysis is therefore central to characterising and replicating cues such as pheromones, allelochemicals, and other released signals used to attract, deter, or condition animal responses. Thus, this review aims to introduce the reader to the applications of animal odours in animal management and behavioural control, and to provide a critical, practice-oriented guide to selecting and combining VOC sampling and analytical techniques for animal odour studies. Animal odour profiling typically involves three steps: (1) sampling, (2) transfer to the instrument, and (3) detection/identification of VOCs. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is the gold standard for VOC analysis, and is often paired with headspace techniques, including static headspace, dynamic headspace, and solid-phase microextraction (SPME) to facilitate sampling and transfer of VOCs. In addition, liquid and distillation-based extraction methods are discussed, which remain important for capturing less volatile or matrix-bound components in animal odour and semiochemical research. On the analytical side we discuss GC-MS alongside emerging and complementary techniques, including proton transfer reaction-mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS), gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O), and electronic noses, emphasising their respective strengths and limitations for qualitative and quantitative VOC analysis. Collectively, the literature shows that no single sampling or analytical approach is universally optimal. Effective animal odour profiling therefore requires matching extraction and detection strategies to the volatility, stability, and behavioural relevance of target VOCs. Careful consideration should also be given to how these methodological choices influence the odour profiles used in ecological, behavioural, and applied management contexts.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13624044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149080756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abraham Sanchez-Cruz, Patricia Villa-Ayala, Julio C Rojas, Paola R García-Sosa, Norma Robledo, Alfredo Jiménez-Pérez
{"title":"The Role of Cuticular Hydrocarbons in the Intraspecific Sexual Recognition Of Cyclocephala barrerai (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae).","authors":"Abraham Sanchez-Cruz, Patricia Villa-Ayala, Julio C Rojas, Paola R García-Sosa, Norma Robledo, Alfredo Jiménez-Pérez","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01766-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01766-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A mixture of hydrocarbons of different molecular weights covers the Coleoptera cuticle, protecting the insects from desiccation and, in some cases, providing information about their physiological state. Courtship and mating in Cyclocephala barrerai Martínez begin when the male's antennae touch the female's thorax and elytra. The male antennae of C. barrerai have sensilla that detect hydrocarbons; however, the role of these compounds in the mating behavior of this beetle species remains unknown. Here, we analyzed the behavioral responses of both sexes of C. barrerai to conspecific cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) and identified them to determine how their composition varies by sex and age. CHCs were extracted from laboratory-reared C. barrerai individuals by immersion in hexane. We measured the percentage of adults that responded to CHCs extracts applied to a minimal visual component, a filter paper, an inert decoy, and a conspecific carcass stripped of CHCs. We identified and quantified the CHCs using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Males exhibited arrestment, courtship, and copulation behaviors in response to CHCs extracted from females. The extracts contained nine compounds, seven of which were identified and six quantified. Insects emerged from the pupa with a similar amount of CHCs, and they differentiated as the gonads matured. Our results suggest that CHCs from C. barrerai females function as a contact sex pheromone.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149061388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emmanuel Hung, Regine Gries, Augustus Negraeff, Nicole Goussiatiner, Hardeep Panesar, Pantea Zamani, Christina Li, Erica Hui, Nia Davis-McGregor, Manthan Vekariya, Spencer Kirk, Brooke Dexter, Stephen Vaive, Aryan Monfared, Christopher Tam, Ryan Lam, Damien Nguyen, Gerhard Gries
{"title":"Identification of Semiochemicals in the Feces of Stable Flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, that Attract Conspecific Flies.","authors":"Emmanuel Hung, Regine Gries, Augustus Negraeff, Nicole Goussiatiner, Hardeep Panesar, Pantea Zamani, Christina Li, Erica Hui, Nia Davis-McGregor, Manthan Vekariya, Spencer Kirk, Brooke Dexter, Stephen Vaive, Aryan Monfared, Christopher Tam, Ryan Lam, Damien Nguyen, Gerhard Gries","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01765-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01765-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stable flies, Stomoxys calcitrans, are severe blood-feeding pests of cattle. As previously reported, fecal deposits of stable flies attract conspecific flies. Here we report the identification and behavioral testing of fly fecal semiochemicals. In laboratory two-choice bioassays, CO<sub>2</sub>-activated flies landed more often on sites baited with stable fly feces, or water extract thereof, than on unbaited control sites. Water extracts of feces attracted flies, whereas non-polar solvent extracts did not. Fecal deposits only of blood-fed, but not sugar-fed, flies elicited preferential responses, indicating that the feces-derived semiochemicals are metabolites of blood protein digestion. Analyses of freeze-dried, purified water extract - following derivatization of polar compounds - by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed 13 polar candidate semiochemicals. A synthetic blend of formamide, ethylamine, ammonium carbonate, urea, valine, 3-methylbutyric acid, lactic acid, ketoisocaproic acid, and oxalic acid attracted flies as effectively as water extract of feces, but not all constituents of this synthetic lure may be needed for fly attraction. Further research is needed to determine whether the synthetic blend attracts flies in field settings, and whether a less complex - but still highly effective - lure can be developed to augment the efficacy of current vision-based stable fly traps.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149038956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Itzel Lima Rivera, Julio C Rojas, María Celina M Llanderal Cázares, Héctor González Hernández, Cesar Ruiz Montiel, Laura Delia Ortega Arenas, Jesús Romero Nápoles
{"title":"Effect of irradiation, age, sex, and mating on cuticular hydrocarbons in Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae).","authors":"Itzel Lima Rivera, Julio C Rojas, María Celina M Llanderal Cázares, Héctor González Hernández, Cesar Ruiz Montiel, Laura Delia Ortega Arenas, Jesús Romero Nápoles","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01764-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01764-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an economically significant invasive pest affecting berry crops worldwide, with effective management reliant on comprehending its reproductive behaviour. This study evaluated the effects of age, sex, reproductive status, and irradiation on the cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profile of D. suzukii. Samples from irradiated and non-irradiated adults were analyzed using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Heneicosene, (Z)-9-tricosene, and hexacosene were identified in the samples. The abundance of these compounds varied mainly as a function of age and mating condition, especially in females. Heneicosene increased with age and mating, whereas (Z)-9-tricosene showed a contrary trend. Irradiation did not affect most CHCs, although an increase in hexacosene was detected in older irradiated females. In males, the profiles were more stable. The results indicate that CHCs in D. suzukii are highly plastic and that irradiation has specific and limited effects, suggesting that the Sterile Insect Technique may be implemented without significantly disrupting the chemical communication essential for mating.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149061414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pheromone-Induced Delayed Oviposition in Helicoverpa armigera and H. assulta Moths Under Chronic High-Dose Sex Pheromone Exposure.","authors":"Jiewen Mao, Qianwen Luo, Shaoting Duan, Menghao Zhang, Xianru Guo, Xiufeng You, Jinrong Tang, Weizheng Li","doi":"10.1007/s10886-026-01763-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10886-026-01763-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study, we chronically exposed virgin male and female moths of two closely related noctuid species, Helicoverpa armigera (the cotton bollworm, CBW) and H. assulta (the oriental tobacco budworm, OTB), to conspecific sex pheromones, interspecific sex pheromones, or a control environment, and measured several reproductive and longevity parameters in females, as well as male longevity. The results show that pheromone exposure treatment shaped the temporal pattern of female oviposition (i.e., delayed oviposition), but had no significant effect on life-history span factor (the principal component onto which total oviposition duration and female longevity loaded most heavily, with loadings of 0.9846 and 0.9228, respectively). Exposure to conspecific or interspecific sex pheromone atmospheres shortened the longevity of OTB males relative to the control, whereas CBW male longevity was not affected. These findings suggest that, in addition to their well-known role in mate attraction, sex pheromones may asymmetrically shape life-history traits in the two sexes. However, because this study was conducted under confined laboratory conditions without measuring mating success or population growth, the potential implication that pheromone exposure could regulate population dynamics by affecting reproductive synchrony between the sexes remains hypothetical and awaits validation under more ecologically realistic conditions.</p>","PeriodicalId":15346,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Chemical Ecology","volume":"52 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149016890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}