Tom Turpin Professor of Purdue University        Battle of the
Sexes - Insect Style  With humans, it began with Adam and Eve.
Insects, it seems, have been at it even longer. Yes, the battle
of the sexes is not just for people!  Some of the really big
gender behavioral issues that bug humans don't bother insects.
For instance, whether the toilet seat should be left up or down
isn't an insect thing. Neither is the propensity to assume that
males won't ask directions. Shopping and moving furniture? Not
an issue with insects.  But there are behavioral differences in
insects that are sex-related. For instance, mate selection. In
the insect world, a common approach to mate location is that the
female allures and the male pursues.  For many insects that
means using a pheromone, a perfume, to attract a mate. In
insects. the use of pheromones is a decidedly distaff thing.
With a few exceptions, pheromones are produced by female
insects.  But then, that hardly sets insects apart from humans.
If you aren't convinced, ju