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How insects smell their way around the world


Still Waters

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The mosquito, sworn enemy of exposed ankles and elbows, locates each bloody meal using a finely tuned sense of smell. Yet, not all insects can sniff out vulnerable flesh. Butterflies, for example, feed not on necks but on nectar, and accordingly excel at smelling flowers. Each insect olfactory system is, in fact, tailored to a species' particular habitat and needs. And a new study from a group of Rockefeller scientists suggests that this versatility is facilitated by the unique structure of odorant-gated ion channels.

In a recent paper, published in Nature, Vanessa Ruta and colleagues describe the structure of one such ion channel and propose an explanation for how diverse channels evolved to accommodate insect life in a large variety of ecological niches.

https://phys.org/news/2018-08-ion-channel-reveals-insects-world.html

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Granted my source is questionable, but do butterflies only 'eat' nectar? I saw that some feast on dead flesh..?

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