Insect olfaction gustatory, ionotropic, and olfactory receptors and “distorts” other odorants interaction with those receptors. Insect olfaction Insect olfaction refers to the function of chemical receptors that enable insects to detect and identify volatile compounds for foraging, predator avoidance, finding mating partners (via pheromones) and locating oviposition habitats. Thus, it is the most important sensation for insects. Most important insect behaviors must be timed perfectly which is dependent on what they smell and when they smell it. For example, olfaction is essential for hunting in many species of wasps, including "Polybia sericea". The two organs insects primarily use for detecting odors are
Mutillidae 1 meter of the velvet ant it would begin contracting the organ. These contractions became more frequent as the predator got closer to the velvet ant so the shrew never attempted to attack the velvet ant. However, different scenarios with shrews have shown that the velvet ant would contract the organ after the shrew attacked it. Every time this occurred the shrew dropped the ant. The exoskeleton of the velvet ant is remarkably strong. When compared to the exoskeleton of a honeybee, the velvet ant’s required 11 times more force to crush using a force transducer. As well as being