The evidence for intraspecies chemical communication in insects is reviewed, with emphasis on those studies where known organic compounds have been implicated. These signal-carrying chemicals are known as pheromones. There are two distinct types of pheromones, releasers and primers. Releaser pheromones initiate immediate behavioral responses in insects upon reception, while primer pheromones cause physiological changes in an animal that ultimately result in a behavior response. Chemically identified releaser pheromones are of three basic types: those which cause sexual attraction, alarm behavior, and recruitment. Sex pheromones release the entire repertoire of sexual behavior. Thus a male insect may be attracted to and attempt to copulate with an inanimate object that has sex pheromone on it. It appears that most insects are rather sensitive and selective for the sex pheromone of their species. Insects show far less sensitivity and chemospecificity for alarm pheromones. Alarm selectivity is based more on volatility than on unique structural features. Recruiting pheromones are used primarily in marking trails to food sources. Terrestrial insects lay continuous odor trails, whereas bees and other airborne insects apply the substances at discrete intervals. It appears that a complex pheromone system is used by the queen bee in the control of worker behavior. One well-established component of this system is a fatty acid, 9-ketodecenoic acid, produced by the queen and distributed among the workers. This compound prevents the development of ovaries in the workers and inhibits their queen-rearing activities. In addition, the same compound is used by virgin queen bees as a sex attractant.
本文综述了昆虫种内化学通讯的证据，重点关注那些涉及已知有机化合物的研究。这些携带信号的化学物质被称为信息素。信息素分为两种不同类型：释放型信息素和引发型信息素。释放型信息素在昆虫接收后会引发即时行为反应，而引发型信息素会使动物产生生理变化，最终导致行为反应。化学鉴定出的释放型信息素基本有三种类型：引起性吸引、警报行为和召集行为的信息素。性信息素能引发整套性行为。因此，雄性昆虫可能会被带有性信息素的无生命物体吸引并试图与其交配。似乎大多数昆虫对其物种的性信息素相当敏感且具有选择性。昆虫对警报信息素的敏感性和化学特异性要低得多。警报选择性更多地基于挥发性而非独特的结构特征。召集信息素主要用于标记通往食物源的踪迹。陆生昆虫会留下连续的气味踪迹，而蜜蜂和其他空中飞行的昆虫则以离散的间隔涂抹这些物质。蜂王似乎利用一个复杂的信息素系统来控制工蜂的行为。这个系统中一个已被充分证实的成分是一种脂肪酸，即9 - 酮代癸烯酸，由蜂王产生并在工蜂中传播。这种化合物会阻止工蜂卵巢的发育，并抑制它们培育蜂王的活动。此外，未交配的蜂王也将这种化合物用作性引诱剂。
