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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...

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Taste Preference Assay for Adult Drosophila
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Innate olfactory preferences in dung beetles.

Laurent Dormont1, Pierre Jay-Robert, Jean-Marie Bessière

  • 1Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5175, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France. laurent.dormont@cefe.cnrs.fr

The Journal of Experimental Biology
|August 31, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Insect larval diet does not influence adult dung beetle preferences for specific dung odors. Adult Agrilinus constans show innate attraction to cattle and sheep dung, suggesting learned preferences are not key for these coprophagous insects.

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Area of Science:

  • Insect behavior
  • Chemical ecology
  • Animal behavior

Background:

  • Larval diet effects on adult olfactory responses are debated in insects.
  • Host preference induction is studied in various insect groups.
  • Coprophagous insects' olfactory responses to dung volatiles are less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate larval diet influence on adult olfactory responses in the dung beetle Agrilinus constans.
  • Determine if adult dung beetles exhibit innate or learned preferences for dung volatiles.
  • Analyze chemical composition of mammal dung volatiles for olfactory discrimination.

Main Methods:

  • Larvae of Agrilinus constans were reared on four artificial substrates with different dung types.
  • Adult olfactory responses to dung volatiles were tested in an olfactometer.
  • Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to analyze dung volatile composition.

Main Results:

  • Adult dung beetles showed higher attraction to cattle and sheep dung odors.
  • Larval feeding experience had no significant effect on adult olfactory responses to dung volatiles.
  • Dung volatile composition differed significantly among mammal species, enabling olfactory discrimination by beetles.

Conclusions:

  • Resource selection in coprophagous insects like Agrilinus constans may rely on innate olfactory preferences.
  • Larval diet does not appear to shape adult olfactory preferences for dung volatiles in this species.
  • Further research is needed to explore learning capabilities and diet effects in other coprophagous species.