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How does sniffing improve the detection of odours?

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Compound eye — Senses Vespid wasps (Vespidae), similar to other insects, have compound eyes that consist of thousands of tiny optical units known as ommatidia, which contain light-sensitive photoreceptor cells.

Sniffing improves the detection of odours by increasing the volume of air sampled through the nasal cavity, which ensures that more odorant molecules reach the olfactory epithelium.1

In terrestrial vertebrates, the olfactory epithelium is located within the nasal cavity, where it is normally bathed by air passing toward the lungs during respiration. By sniffing, an animal can enhance this airflow, often creating turbulence within the nasal cavity. This turbulence increases the likelihood that odor molecules will come into contact with the sensory cells responsible for detecting smells. For example, animals such as dogs may sniff rapidly when searching for a scent to maximize their ability to pick up and identify specific chemical signals in their environment.1