Synonyms
Exocrine glands; Semiochemicals
Pheromones are chemical factors secreted by an organism that transmit information to and elicit a reaction from members of its species to mutual benefit. Pheromones and all other signals differ from cues in that the former evolved specifically for information transmission, while the latter are merely traits that can be used to glean information but are not necessarily adaptive [6, 9]. Chemical factors perceived by members of a different species are called allomones, synomones, or kairomones, depending on the adaptive nature of interaction between the emitter and the receiver [4].
Primer and Releaser Effects of Pheromones
A pheromonal signal can have effects of two different types on its receiver. Pheromones that upon perception influence the immediate behavior of their receiver are caller releaser pheromones. Pheromones that upon perception start a long-term physiological change in the receiver are called primer pheromones. Sometimes the same...
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Orlova, M. (2019). Communication, Pheromones. In: Starr, C. (eds) Encyclopedia of Social Insects. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_143-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90306-4_143-1
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