On December 2nd, it was learned from Southwest University that Professor Wang Jinjun's team from the School of Plant Protection has made new progress in the study of the mating and foraging behavior regulation mechanism of the invasive pest, the orange fruit fly, which seriously threatens the fruit and vegetable industry. Research has found that the neuropeptide Sulfokinin (Sk) activates its specific receptor Sulfokinin Receptor1 (SkR1), reshaping the peripheral olfaction of the orange fruit fly to regulate the transition between foraging and mating behavior. The relevant research results were recently published online in the journal "Electronic Life". The foraging and mating behavior of insects is crucial for their resource allocation and population reproduction. Elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying the transition between foraging and mating behaviors is of great significance for the development of novel pest behavior control strategies. Previously, Wang Jinjun's team had found that hunger can promote the transition of orange fruit flies from mating behavior to foraging behavior. On this basis, the team further conducted in-depth research. The research team member, Professor Jiang Hongbo from the School of Plant Protection at Southwest University, introduced that they found through research that hunger increases the expression abundance of SkR1 in the olfactory neurons of the antennae of the fruit fly, directly inhibiting the expression of the neutral pheromone receptor gene in the olfactory neurons of the fruit fly's antennae, while enhancing the expression of the food volatile receptor gene, ultimately driving the behavioral transformation of the fruit fly's foraging and mating behavior. This discovery will contribute to the development of new control methods for fruit fly pests, thereby enhancing the ability of China's fruit and vegetable industry to resist such pests. (New Society)