Insect olfaction 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 the antennae and specialized mouth parts called the maxillary palps. However, a recent
Red imported fire ant Walter Kempf's 1972 catalogue of Neotropical ants. In 1972, American entomologist William Buren described what he thought was a new species, naming it "Solenopsis invicta". Buren collected a holotype worker from Cuiabá in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and provided the first official description of the ant in a journal article published by the Georgia Entomological Society. He accidentally misspelled "invicta" as "invica" above the description pages of the species, although it was clear that "invicta" was the intended spelling because of the constant use of the name in the article. The type material is currently housed in the National Museum of