Interactive Influences of Male- and Female-Produced Pheromones on Male Attraction to Female Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Males and females of N. brasiliensis were neither significantly attracted nor repulsed by chemical secretions released from members of the same sex. Although solitary, responding males were strongly attracted to the source of a sex pheromone liberated from females, this response decreased markedly when > 1 responding male was responded simultaneously to the female pheromone gradient or when 2 or more males were placed together with the pheromone-releasing females. Male responses to the female pheromone source decreased steadily as the ratio of males to females at the source was increased from 0:35 to 10:35. A further increase in the male: female ratio at the source reversed the inhibitory trend and caused responding males to be attracted again. Unknown interactions between males and females which cause this unexpected phenomenon appear to be accomplished primarily through chemical communication.