Air pollution destroys pheromones and prevents insects from finding mates

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology studied the effect of ozone on mating behavior

fruit flies.The analysis found that air pollution associated with anthropogenic emissions disrupts the pheromones emitted by flies. Moreover, the researchers found that when ozone concentrations were relatively high, males exhibited unusual courtship behavior toward other males.

To study the effect of ozone on mating behaviorflies, researchers have developed an exposure system that can mimic ozone levels in the air in cities during the warmer hours of the day. The system generated a continuous stream of air with a given ozone content in the room where the flies were.

In the first experiment, male flies were exposed toexposure to elevated ozone concentrations. The analysis showed that flies exposed to 100 parts per billion ozone for two hours had significantly reduced levels of pheromones. The researchers conducted experiments on nine related species and all but one (Drosophila busckii) showed a decrease in male pheromones.

Flies under normal conditions

Flies in an environment with high ozone concentrations

The sexual intercourse of insects is largelydepends on pheromones, chemical attractants that allow males and females of a particular species to find each other and mate. Most insect pheromones are aromatic molecules containing carbon-carbon double bonds. Such compounds are easily destroyed by ozone.

Drosophila busckii, which does not changeobserved uses pheromones without carbon-carbon double bonds, which only confirms the result of the experiment. In further studies, scientists found that under the influence of ozone, male fruit flies not only stop finding females to mate, but begin to “show interest” in other males.

Researchers believe flies use scentnot only to attract females, but also to distinguish females from other males: their pheromone is “pleasant” to females, but repels other males. The destruction of these aromatic molecules by ozone not only reduces female attraction to males, but also “removes the barrier” that repels other males.

In future experiments, the ecologists plan to study the effect of increased ozone levels on sexual behavior in other insects, as well as on the spread of interbreeding.

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