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How can a female gypsy moth attract males from thousands of metres away?

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Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (Canis lupus dingo) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming. — Animal communication Animals communicate by sending and receiving signals. For example, a mother dingo (*Canis lupus dingo*) can communicate certain types of information to her pups by using tactile signals conveyed through grooming.

Female gypsy moths attract males from a distance by producing and releasing a specific sex-attractant pheromone. This chemical, known as disparlure, is synthesized in specialized glands located in the moth's abdomen.12

When a female is ready to mate, she engages in a behavior called "calling," during which she exposes these glands and disperses the pheromone into the air. Because female gypsy moths are flightless, they rely entirely on this powerful scent to signal their location and attract males from long distances. Once the pheromone is released, it travels through the air, where it is detected by the olfactory receptors of the males.13

This highly effective communication method is so potent that synthetic versions of the pheromone are frequently used by humans to monitor or control gypsy moth populations by luring males into traps or by saturating an area to confuse them and prevent them from finding mates.24