1959: Pheromone - The book of science

Pheromone
Bombykol
Hard to say
Commentary

Pheromone

Adolf Butenandt discovered the first
pheromone to be described chemically.
Earlier entomologists had recognized
stimulating chemicals affecting insects,
but almost all animals produce
chemical signals, for many purposes
inducing aggregation, expressing alarm,
claiming ownership, marking a trail or area,
triggering a change in behavior or development,
communicating or promoting sexual readiness.

Bombykol

The female silkworm moth
releases bombykol to attract mates.
What improves survival of the species
can also be used against them.
Bombykol lures and bombykol decoys
protect mulberry trees from wild silkmoths.

Hard to say

It’s hard to say
why I hesitate.
I used to think
I was so smart.
Nothing’s changed
but everything’s different.

Speculation about pheromones in human beings opposes the notion that we are entirely rational creatures. The ideal of rationality is a fairly weak leg to stand on. Certainly we are not the only animal without instincts. The origin of chemical signaling goes back to the first animal and is shared by all living things including bacteria.

The Traditional Chinese character for silkworm is assumed to feature a small worm in a cacoon.