Sex pheromones are
pheromones released by an organism to attract an individual of the opposite
sex, encourage them to mate with them, or perform some other function closely related with
sexual reproduction. Sex pheromones specifically focus on indicating females for breeding, attracting the opposite sex, and conveying information on their species, age, sex and genotype after emitted by males. Volatile pheromones are characterized as sex pheromones or defensive pheromones and usually form a specific odor and are focused on alarm sensitivity. Non-volatile pheromones, or cuticular contact pheromones, are more closely related to social insects as they are usually detected by direct contact with chemoreceptors on specific parts of insects (i.e. antennae, feet).