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The behavior of males of the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders), flying within an aerial trail of female sex pheromone was influenced by the concentration of pheromone, the spatial position and intensity of the illuminating light source, and visual cues from nearby objects. When exposed to pheromone, most moths held at light intensities ranging from 10 to <10-7 lux initiated flight. Directed flight to the source along the trail of pheromone occurred between 4 and 10-4 lux, but not at <10-7 lux. Visual observations and photographic analysis indicated flight along the aerial pheromone trail consists of alternating turns, resulting in a zigzag course in a horizontal plane. Actual air speed along the zigzag course and forward progress air speed (speed measured in a straight line along the longitudinal axis of the pheromone trail) decreased when the moths were subjected to an increase in pheromone concentration. Much of this decrease in air speed may be caused by the corresponding decrease in wing-beat frequency that occurs at higher pheromone concentration. The angular change in direction of male moths engaged in the zigzag flight behavior tended to increase with an increase in pheromone concentration. There was no apparent correlation between either the turning frequency or lateral amplitude of the flight path and pheromone concentration. Arrestment of flight and a landing response appeared to be stimulated by the combined action of visual cues and high pheromone concentration.
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Farkas et al. (1974) studied this question.