A semiochemical, from the Greek σημεῖον (semeion), meaning "signal", is a chemical substance or mixture released by an organism that affects the behaviors of other individuals.
Pheromones are intraspecific signals that aid in finding mates, food and habitat resources, warning of enemies, and avoiding competition.
[7] The term "pheromone" was introduced by Peter Karlson and Martin Lüscher in 1959, based on the Greek word pherein (to transport) and hormone (to stimulate).
In this true mutualistic inter-relationship, both organisms gain benefits in their respective sexual reproductive systems – i.e. orchid flowers are pollinated and the Dacini fruit fly males are rewarded with a sex pheromone precursor or booster.
The floral synomone, also acts as a reward to pollinators, is either in the form of a phenylpropanoid (e.g. methyl eugenol[19][20][21]) or a phenylbutanoid (e.g. raspberry ketone[22] and zingerone[23][24]).
The tree repays them in turn by providing sugary nectar and fat- and protein-rich Beltian bodies to feed the ant colony.