Sustained-flight tunnel for measuring insect responses to wind-borne sex pheromones

Abstract

The design, construction, and uses of a relatively simple and inexpensive wind tunnel for studying responses of flying insects to sex pheromones are presented with special reference to research on moths. A variable-speed continuous belt installed on the tunnel floor proved to be a valuable feature, allowing the observer to manipulate the speed of the responding insect and thus to measure the duration and persistence of sustained anemotactic flights in the pheromone plume. It is concluded that flight tunnels of this kind will prove to be extremely valuable multipurpose tools in pheromone research. © 1978 Plenum Publishing Corporation.