Does climate warming influence sexual chemical signaling?

Abstract

Abstract Global climate is changing at a rapid pace and the pivotal question is if the rate and extent of species’ responses to stressful events enable them to persist in a changing world. Although the consequences of rapid environmental changes on animal life-history traits are receiving considerable attention, our understanding of how temperature fluctuations affect sexual chemical communication in animals is scarce. Male-female interactions often depend on pheromone detectability and sudden shifts in environmental temperature are expected to disrupt communication between potential mates. Whether organisms can adapt to temperature-induced changes at both signaller and receiver levels is virtually unexplored. In this perspective paper, we first provide a broad overview of the sex pheromone pathway, from biosynthesis to detection, and outline the importance of chemical-based mate choice. Finally, through several study cases, we highlight how thermal stress may interfere with chemical communication between the sexes, and discuss the potential evolutionary consequence of temperature stress.