Abstract: The pheromone receptors in moths were first identified from Heliothis virescens and Bombyx mori. Dozens of pheromone receptor genes were cloned from 19 moth species and clustered into a subgroup in the phylogeny of olfactory receptors. Moth pheromone receptors can be detected in the pupal stage and many receptors are exclusively or mainly expressed in the olfactory neurons of male antennae. Some moth receptors are also expressed in the female antennae, other neurons of male antennae or other tissues. The majority of moth pheromone receptors respond to more than one pheromone compound. Some moth pheromone receptors can be excited by non-pheromone compounds. The ligands of several identified moth receptors are still unknown. The olfactory receptors only expressed in antenna of female moth to detect pheromones secreted by male moths have been identified. In the process of pheromone recognization, pheromone binding proteins not only transport the moth pheromone molecules to the dendrites of olfactory neurons by selectively binding to pheromone, but also improve the combination between pheromones and receptors. OrCo-like is very important in the process of moth pheromone recognization and always co-expressed with pheromone receptor in the same neuron. However, the termination of neuron response to moth pheromone is not controlled by pheromone receptors, but by ordorant-degrading enzymes. Many questions about the function of pheromone receptors need to be answered and the process of insect pheromone recognization is complexed than we known.

Key words: Lepidoptera, moths, pheromone receptor, pheromone, pheromone binding protein, molecular recognition