Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Pollination and Flower Structure02:40

Pollination and Flower Structure

Flowers are the reproductive, seed-producing structures of angiosperms. Typically, flowers consist of sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. Sepals and petals are the vegetative flower organs. Stamens and carpels are the reproductive organs.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A queen odour mediates reproductive suppression in a eusocial mammal.

Nature·2026
Same author

A predator-derived odor specifically triggers avoidance in gregarious mated female Locusta migratoria.

Pest management science·2026
Same author

Exposure to legacy and emerging phthalates and bisphenols in recycling workers: Evidence from the GreenMetalWaste study.

Environmental research·2026
Same author

Effects of elevated ozone on life history traits, olfactory detection, and behavior in Drosophila.

The Science of the total environment·2026
Same author

Oxidizing pollutants can disrupt nestmate recognition in ants.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Conned by the enemy: the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae lures and kills Drosophila suzukii.

Pest management science·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings (GCMR) in the Insect Antennal Lobe
09:49

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings (GCMR) in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Published on: February 24, 2013

Floral to green: mating switches moth olfactory coding and preference.

Ahmed M Saveer1, Sophie H Kromann, Göran Birgersson

  • 1Chemical Ecology Group, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 10, 2012
PubMed
Summary

Mating changes how female cotton leafworm moths smell. After mating, they stop being attracted to flowers and instead seek out their host plant, cotton, for egg-laying.

More Related Videos

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants
06:13

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Published on: February 14, 2013

Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility
07:49

Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility

Published on: July 27, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings (GCMR) in the Insect Antennal Lobe
09:49

Identification of Olfactory Volatiles using Gas Chromatography-Multi-unit Recordings (GCMR) in the Insect Antennal Lobe

Published on: February 24, 2013

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants
06:13

Vertical T-maze Choice Assay for Arthropod Response to Odorants

Published on: February 14, 2013

Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility
07:49

Electrophysiological Recording from Drosophila Trichoid Sensilla in Response to Odorants of Low Volatility

Published on: July 27, 2017

Area of Science:

  • Insect olfactory neuroscience
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Moth reproductive physiology

Background:

  • Mating triggers significant physiological and behavioral changes in insects.
  • Olfactory responses guide crucial behaviors like host plant selection and reproduction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of mating on olfactory responses in the cotton leafworm moth (Spodoptera littoralis).
  • To understand the neural mechanisms underlying mating-induced behavioral shifts in olfactory perception.

Main Methods:

  • Behavioral assays measuring olfactory attraction to floral and host plant odors before and after mating.
  • In vivo calcium imaging of the antennal lobe (AL) to visualize olfactory processing.
  • Use of authentic and synthetic odorants to probe olfactory representations.

Main Results:

  • Unmated female moths are attracted to lilac floral odor; mated females are attracted to cotton green-leaf odor.
  • Mating causes a significant shift in the olfactory representation of these odors within the antennal lobe.
  • Specific AL glomeruli show altered activity patterns correlating with the behavioral switch.

Conclusions:

  • Mating fundamentally alters olfactory processing in female moths, shifting attraction from floral cues to host plant cues for egg-laying.
  • This olfactory recalibration is mediated by changes in the antennal lobe's odor maps.
  • The findings provide insights into state-dependent decision-making and host shifts in herbivorous insects.