Chemosensory receptors in tsetse flies provide link between chemical and behavioural ecology

Abstract

Tsetse flies survive in a variety of environments across tropical Africa, often rising to large numbers, despite their low birth rate of one offspring every seven to nine days. They use olfactory receptors to process chemical signals in their environments to find food, escape from predators, and locate suitable larviposition sites. We discuss the identification of odorant and gustatory receptors in Glossina morsitans morsitans and the role genomics could play in management of nuisance insects.

Keywords: chemosensory proteins; ecology; genomics; gustatory receptors; odorant receptors; tsetse flies.