Floral scents of hawkmoth-pollinate flowers in Japan

Similarity among the floral scents of hawkmoth-pollinated plants was investigated with headspace samplings. Six of seven plant species belonging to different families were found to be rich in isoprenoids, among which linalool was the most common compound. Linalool showed rhythmicity with a nocturnal increase in Lonicera japonica. These findings suggest that linalool is a common attractant for nocturnal hawkmoths. However, the composition of other isoprenoids, benzenoids and fatty acid derivatives varied markedly among the plant species examined. There was a significant correlation between species composition of flower-visiting hawkmoths and specific floral scents, suggesting that attractiveness to each hawkmoth species is dependent upon floral scent.