Olfactory perception of insects in pest management and forensic entomology

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Insects primarily sense their environment using chemical stimuli. Specific chemical cues emitted from a host convey such information to the insect as suitability of the host, mating potential, in addition to providing information to determine whether predators or parasites may be present. Nuisance insects found in livestock facilities contribute to the spread of diseases, distress to the animals, serious infections, and ultimately the loss of productivity and even the loss of livestock. For example, slaughter-houses also face contamination problems concerning nuisance insects. Air entrainment collections will be made from livestock facilities and products associated with abattoirs in order to collect the volatile chemicals associated with their environment. The collections will be analysed, and most importantly their effect on common insect pests will be examined. By using combined gas chromatography (GC) and electroantennogram (EAG) techniques, we will analyse the volatiles recovered from livestock and meat products to determine which of the specific compounds elicits a response from important nuisance insects. The EAG, however, only confirms the response to a behaviour modifying compound, or semiochemical, and not the actual behavioural effect associated with that chemical or group of chemicals. Therefore, laboratory and field bioassays will be conducted using the identify semiochemicals in order to determine their specific effect. A goal is to isolate and identify attractants, in addition to repellents, which can potentially be used in pest management strategies to help prevent the spread of diseases, reduce the amount of harmful pesticides used, and help increase proliferation of the livestock. Using these techniques, volatile chemicals associated with decomposing porcine will also be collected in order to better explain the succession of carrion insects involved in decomposition of the body. Overall, it is our objective to determine the impact of the semiochemicals on the insects, with the long-term goal of developing integrated pest management strategies which can be implemented in diverse areas of the food industry, from farms to supermarkets, so that the high quality of the meat products for human consumption can be maintained.