CELANI, A. ET AL. PRX. 2014 and Jean Pierre Hamon / Wikimedia Commons
Pheromone dispersion cone, detected at long distances by male moths belonging to Saturnia pavoniaCELANI, A. ET AL. PRX. 2014 and Jean Pierre Hamon / Wikimedia CommonsA team led by physicist Antonio Celani at the International Center of Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy believes it has discovered how males in some moth species are able to detect the scent of females that are ready to mate even at a distance of one kilometer. The males’ olfactory antennae are extremely sensitive: all it takes is for the male to detect a few molecules of pheromone released into the air by the female, and he will track down his partner. For the first time, researchers have calculated the probability that molecules released by a female would reach a male in their surroundings (Physical Review X, October 28, 2014). Breeze- and wind-generated turbulence disturbs the trajectory of the molecules. Based on a mathematical theory backed up by computer simulations, laboratory experiments and field data, the physicists concluded that the pheromones emitted by the female moths can be perceived by males in a so-called “cone of detection,” extending as far as one kilometer away. The pheromone molecules reach the males in a series of intermittent “whiffs” that last only a few milliseconds. The physicists believe that these findings could help curb insect infestations.
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