News Chemistry

Too-young caterpillars like scent of sex

Larvae respond to mate-attracting pheromones

By Susan Milius

- More than 2 years ago

Caterpillars way too immature for actual sex turn out to detect and take an interest in adult sex pheromones.

A cotton leafworm caterpillar turns out to have some grown-up chemistry for detecting adult female come-hither odors long before developing the winged body form that can actually mate. E. Jacquin-Joly

Caterpillars of the cotton leafworm moth (Spodoptera littoralis) don’t have working sex organs.