AI Insight
Researchers from INRAE, Université Côte d'Azur, and Nanjing Agricultural University have developed an AI-based method to identify the sex pheromone of the lily moth, an insect pest whose caterpillars damage lily plants in Asia and Oceania. The team successfully identified both the pheromone molecule and the olfactory receptors that detect it. This innovative approach can be applied to discover pheromones in other insect species where these chemical signals remain unknown.
Why it matters
The identification of insect pheromones is crucial for biocontrol strategies used in crop protection, offering alternatives to chemical pesticides. This AI-based method could accelerate the development of pheromone-based pest management systems for agriculture, particularly benefiting crop protection efforts in France and globally.
Understand the Science
A team of INRAE scientists, in collaboration with Université Côte d’Azur and Nanjing Agricultural University in China, has used an innovative AI-based method to identify the sex pheromone of the lily moth1 and the olfactory receptors associated with it. The insect pest, whose caterpillars feed on these plants, is found in Asia and Oceania. This approach to identifying previously unknown molecules opens up new possibilities for identifying pheromones in other species. These molecules play a key role in certain biocontrol strategies currently used to protect crops, particularly in France. The results were obtained as part of the EXPLOR’AE program and published in BMC Biology.
Source: Crop protection: A new method for understanding insect sexual communication