Interneurons sensitive to female pheromone in the deutocerebrum of the male silkworm moth,Bombyx mori

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Abstract
In response to minute quantities of female sex pheromone, the male silkworm moth,Bombyx moriL., walks upwind to locate the odour source. The axons of antennal receptors specific for the two known components of the pheromone terminate in the deutocerebrum. In this study, single interneurons were recorded extracellularly in the deutocerebrum of the male silkworm moth. Responses were characterized as the antennae were presented with puffs of clean air, or air containing either or both components of the female pheromone, bombykol and bombykal. An apparatus is described which added bombykol or bombykal to a constant air stream flowing over the antenna. Most units (87%) showed qualitatively different responses to bombykol and bombykal. A majority of the pheromone‐sensitive units (65%) also showed mechanosensory responses to air puffs. Two units were recorded which were slightly inhibited by either bombykol or bombykal alone, but were excited by a mixture of the two.