Organism
Silk Moth
TL;DR
The silk moth demonstrates chemical communication at its most refined.
The silk moth demonstrates chemical communication at its most refined. A female releases less than one microgram of bombykol - her sex pheromone. Seven miles downwind, a male detects a single molecule with his 17,000 specialized chemoreceptors. One molecule triggers navigation behavior: the male flies upwind, following the increasing concentration gradient toward the female. This represents the extreme end of chemical signal sensitivity.
Notable Traits of Silk Moth
- Single-molecule pheromone detection
- 17,000 chemoreceptors on antennae
- 7-mile detection range for bombykol