We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.ContinueFind out more
A chemical substance emitted by an organism and detected by another of a different species which gains advantage from this, e.g. a parasite seeking a host.
‘Thus, natural selection should favor parasitoids that utilize as kairomones only the chemicals that uniquely and reliably identify potential hosts.’
‘Unlike a pheromone, which involves only one species, kairomones are chemicals emitted by one species - in this case pears - that attract and benefit another, such as codling moths.’
‘But for some specialist insects, cyanide and cyanogenic compounds can serve as phagostimulants and kairomones.’
‘According to Torr, ‘Tsetse use host kairomones to locate their hosts by a process termed ‘odour-mediated upwind anemotaxis’.’
‘‘There are a lot of known kairomones, but most are worthless for commercial applications to monitor insects under field conditions,’ Henrick says.’
Origin
1970s: from Greek kairos ‘advantage, opportunity’, on the pattern of pheromone.