Tropospheric ozone, one of the most dangerous pollutants on the planet, is formed as a result of sunlight interacting with volatile organic compounds emitted by both humans and some plants. This pollutant negatively affects the mating preferences of living organisms, threatening the existence of many insect species.
A study conducted by German scientists has shown that tropospheric ozone interacts with the pheromones used by insects to attract mating partners. With its strong oxidative properties, ozone breaks down the carbon-carbon bonds that form the basis of pheromones. As a result, male fruit flies begin to emit fewer scents that attract females, slowing down the reproduction process.
The researchers posed the question: can insects distinguish between members of other species and their own kin under significant exposure to tropospheric ozone? To investigate this, the researchers observed four closely related species of fruit flies. The 'subjects' were divided into two groups: one was kept in conditions of low pollutant concentration, while the other was exposed to higher levels of tropospheric ozone typical of a regular hot summer day.
The results of the experiment showed that in the second group of flies, the insects often could not tell whether they were facing a member of their species or an 'outsider.' About 70 percent of the offspring produced during the experiment were interspecies. In comparison, only 20 percent of the insects in the first group mated with members of another species. This indicates that tropospheric ozone significantly affects sexual attraction, and the flies could neither visually nor audibly determine whom they should mate with.
According to the scientists, offspring resulting from the mating of two different insect species often turn out to be sterile and cannot continue the species chain. Carbon-carbon bonds are present in the pheromones of over 90% of insects, making the issue of the extinction of many species particularly urgent at this time.
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