Abstract
Electrophysiological studies were conducted on the antennal olfactory cells of the female onion fly, Hylemya antiqua MEIGEN. From the surface of the funicle, 2 types of cells were found : one type which esponds well to di-n-propyldisulfide but little to ethyl acetate (DNPD-cell), and the other responding to ehyl acetate but not to di-n-propyldisulfide (EA-cell). The NDPD-cell responded to onion odour as well. Among the di-n-alkyldisulfides of alkyl chain length 1 to 5, the DNPD-cell showed high specificity to di-n-propyldisulfide. Although both types responded to n-alcohols, the DNPD-cell was more responsive to heptanol and octanol, white the EA-cell to pentanol and hexanol. Neither type responded to 2-phenylethanol or n-valeric acid. The sensillum that contains these cells appears to be basiconic sensillum.
