Parasitoid pheromones: structures, behaviour and biochemistry – and what they teach us about insect decline

Parasitoid wasps are often tiny insects from the order Hymenoptera that develop inside other insects and play an important role in ecosystems as natural enemies. Finding suitable mating partners is crucial for their reproductive success, a task that many species accomplish through the use of so-called sex pheromones. Focusing on species of the genus Nasonia, I will present how these chemical messengers enable species-specific communication between closely related species, how they are synthesized from simple nutrients, and how we can harness this knowledge to gain new insights into the decline of insects currently observed in many parts of the world.