Novel insights into insect chemical communication – an introduction

The topics of insect chemical communication in this issue can be subdivided into intra- and interspecific signaling mechanisms. For intraspecific chemical communication, several articles characterize sexual cues involved in mate recognition and mating behavior, others discuss mechanisms associated with the neurobiology of chemoreception. For interspecific chemical communication, one article links an olfactory recognition mechanism to a phoretic relationship, i.e., using a heterospecific organism for dispersal. Another identifies a parasitoid-derived mortality-inducing protein, and discusses its potential for biological pest control.