Dissertation Research: Olfactory Modulation of Thermoregulation and Flight in Moths

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In animals, successful reproduction involves the identification and location of a suitable partner, an essential activity that is most commonly modulated by sensory inputs such as vision, smell and sound. This proposal addresses the question of how the sense of smell influences behavioral decisions to take flight and subsequent flight performance in insects, specifically moths. Physiological measurements will be made to determine the temperature at which males initiate flight in response to varying odor inputs. Subsequent behavioral studies performed in a wind tunnel will examine the consequences of these decisions in terms of male ability to fly upwind and locate an odor source. From these studies, researchers will gain novel insights into the weighting of different factors (external signals, physiological state) in the "decision-making" process used by male moths to engage in flight behavior and follow odor plumes released by calling females. In terms of broader impacts, this research uses a significant agricultural pest and insights gained from the proposed experiments may lead to novel or improved methods for the control of these insects. In addition, new classroom exercises for K-12 students as well as undergraduate students at the University of Utah are already being developed. Select undergraduate students will also be directly involved in conducting the proposed experiments, thereby exposing them to scientific research.