Pheromones have essential roles in the social behavior of
most animals. Studies of pheromone-driven behaviors are
especially attractive in Drosophila melanogaster, because
these insects are genetically and molecularly well
characterized, have relatively simple central nervous systems
compared with vertebrates, and yet they display complex
behaviors controlled by sophisticated sensory systems.
Like most other aspects of biology, studies on pheromonedriven
behaviors have entered a new area, as candidate
pheromone receptors and signaling molecules have been
identified through the deciphering of the Drosophila genome.
These advances have made it possible to make specific
manipulations of pheromone pathways for further
investigation.