By
Ella Davies, Reporter, BBC Nature
Cockroaches
groom to improve their sense of smell, scientists say.
The
insects are known to manipulate their antennae, the protrusions on their head
which they use to sense the smells, temperature and physical layout of their
environment.
US
researchers found that the cockroaches groom to wipe away secretions that would
otherwise interfere with their sense of smell.
They
also identified the same behaviour in carpenter ants and houseflies.
The
findings are published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
"The
insect antenna is full of sensory structures, called sensilla, used by insects
to gather information about their surroundings, which is essential for their
survival," said Dr Katalin Boroczky from the North Carolina State
University, US, who authored the study.
Continued: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21275518
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