Evidence of a Female Sex Recognition Pheromone in the Screwworm Fly 1

Abstract
Adult females of the screwworm fly, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were found to produce a chemical(s) that males could detect on contact. This chemical(s) functions as a sex identifier and copulatory stimulant for males; it may also affect other aspects of the mating ritual. The chemical(s) is probably part of the nonpolar, cuticular lipids. It is unlikely that this chemical(s) is related to a previously reported male-produced pheromone.