Tag Archives: insects smell

Insects do smell and taste and the sensation is different. We’re not exactly sure what the insect experiences when they are tasting vs smelling but behavioral studies have shown us that they are are different. If the insect is picking up airborne volatiles we say that they are “smelling”. If they come in direct contact with it – like a fly landing on your pizza – we call it “tasting”. If you want some fancy words to throw around, insect tasting is technically referred to as contact chemoreception or gustatory chemoreception. Continue reading →