The Chemical Messages of Insects: The Molecules of Love
摘要
Countless short stories and novels are dedicated to love. The feelings of love guide the hand of the artist who creates the image of the beloved woman, the poet who immortalizes his muse, and the composer who pours his emotions into music. Everyone finds, according to their talent, a suitable way to express their feelings. But love is not only an attribute of Homo sapiens, of humans. It is also inherent to members of the animal kingdom, even though they cannot write, speak, or compose. Much has been written about their courtship rituals. The curious reader can find almost everything of interest in the extensive popular science literature. In the following, we will focus on a special and less well-known form of love communication—courtship through chemical signals.