Air pollution is having an effect flies surprisingly changed the process of attraction and mating of these insects.
Typically, flies rely heavily on pheromones, which are chemicals that allow males and females to locate and mate.
However, polluted air eventually disrupts the circulation of these pheromones, affecting the flies’ ability to identify their mates.
Specifically, it is about the increase ozone in the air influences the pheromones and impairs their distinguishing function between the sexes.
A recent discovery has revealed more details on how this air pollution can have wideranging impacts on the life and behavior of species, including insects important to pollination and environmental ecology, such as flies.
More research is needed to fully understand the impact of this perturbation on the communication and reproductive systems of flies and other organisms, but the data collected so far is already quite alarming.
Ozone levels can be harmful to flies
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany focused on the effects of ozone on fly attraction and mating.
To do this, they developed an experiment in which they simulated ozone values that are similar to those in cities in summer.
The aim of the research was to examine the effects smoke the air, as the substance is also called, in the pheromones released by flies.
Pheromones not only encourage female flies to attract males, but also allow them to repel other males, thereby ensuring an appropriate reproductive process.
The researchers responsible for the study, Nanji Jiang and Markus Knaden, were intrigued by the behavior of male flies exposed to ozone.
Scientists realized that this change in behavior was related to males’ inability to properly distinguish individuals of the opposite sex.
This discovery supported the hypothesis that ozone exposure impaired the ability of male flies to identify female flies and developed inappropriate courtship behavior.
Previously, researchers had not considered this possibility, making the phenomenon even more intriguing.
Other insects may be affected
The implications of this discovery are farreaching and not just limited to flies. It is believed that ozone can affect the behavioral patterns of many insects, affecting their communication and behavior.
When ozone disrupts the communication of these insects, it can lead to uneasiness in social relationships and chaotic behavior within these communities.
Bees may have trouble coordinating their activities in the hive, wasps may have trouble organizing their tasks, and ants may face challenges with division of labor and defending their territory.
This balance in communication can have deleterious consequences for these insect communities and compromise their role in nature.
In addition, it can affect foraging, caring for offspring, repelling predators, and the overall efficiency of activities within groups.
After all, this whole chain of lack of control could somehow reach humans as well, and also impact certain insectrelated aspects of our lives.