Allomones and Kairomones: Transspecific Chemical Messengers

The currently lively field of chemical ecology is uncovering a surprising variety of ways in which organisms interact through chemical agents. The term pheromone, coined only recently (Karlson and Butenandt, 1959), but already widely accepted, applies to any substance produced by an organism that serves, upon contacting another member of the same species, to induce behavioral or developmental responses adaptive for that species. Organisms also produce an equally wide range of substances that act as stimulants, inhibitors, or behavioral cues for species other than their own. Among these substances, we propose to designate two major functional groupings by the terms allomone and kairomone, chosen as intentional parallels to the term pheromone.' We feel that the terms are needed for clear discussion of the

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