Insect parapheromones in olfaction research and semiochemical-based pest control strategies.

The possibility of disrupting the chemical communication of insect pests has initiated the development of new semiochemicals, parapheromones, which are anthropogenic compounds structurally related to natural pheromone components. Modification at the chain and/or at the polar group, isosteric replacements, halogenation or introduction of labeled atoms have been the most common modifications of the pheromone structure. Parapheromones have shown a large variety of effects, and accordingly have been called agonists, pheromone mimics, synergists and hyperagonists, or else pheromone antagonists, antipheromones and inhibitors. Pheromone analogues have been used in quantitative structure-activity relationship studies of insect olfaction, and from a practical point of view they can replace pheromones when these are costly to prepare or unstable under field conditions.