Some Quantitative Aspects of Insect Attraction

Abstract

The measurement of insect attraction by the number of specimens collected in a certain time, or by the duration of the attractive effect, does not distinguish between the roles of intrinsic attraction and the attractant concentration. It is shown that the number of D. melanogaster responding to a food odor is proportional to the logarithm of the attractant concentration, in conformity with the Weber–Fechner Law. The implications of this result are discussed.