Sex Pheromones of Lepidoptera: Examination of the Role of Male Scent Brushes in Courtship Behavior of Trichoplusia ni1 , 2

Males of the cabbage looper moth, Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), possess a variety of scent-producing organs, some of which have been previously proposed as having a role in enhancing ♀ receptivity. Various surgical procedures were performed to remove the scent organs from the males and the antennae from females. In no case was any qualitative change in in ♂ or ♀ precopulatory behavior or copulatory success noted. Therefore, although it still remains possible that ♂ scent might in some unknown way facilitate certain aspects of courtship, under the conditions of these experiments the scent was found not to be an essential component of the courtship behavior that leads to mating.