Olfactometers have been used for more than 100 years and are integral to experimental chemical ecology. Studies utilising olfactometer bioassays form the foundation for understanding the behavioural responses of invertebrates to chemical stimuli under standardised laboratory conditions. Widely used olfactometry apparatuses include two‐arm olfactometers for binary responses through to four‐ and six‐arm arenas to evaluate more complex behaviours. Despite its prevalence in chemical ecology studies, there has never been a review of experimental best practice in olfactometry. This review critically evaluates both olfactometry methods and applications as well as experimental design and analysis. We aim to outline a standard of good practice to improve experimental design and reporting for studies involving olfactometry, thereby establishing a reference guide to build a robust experimental workflow for olfactometry bioassays.

Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) are used in a “lure-and-kill” approach for management of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, but the active chemicals were previously unknown. Here we collected volatiles from a mango, Mangifera indica, juice bait which is used in ATSBs in Tanzania and tested mosquito responses. In a Y-tube olfactometer, female mosquitoes were attracted to the mango volatiles collected 24–48 h, 48–72 h and 72–96 h after preparing the bait but volatiles collected at 96–120 h were no longer attractive. Volatile analysis revealed emission of 23 compounds in different chemical classes including alcohols, aldehydes, alkanes, benzenoids, monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and oxygenated terpenes. Coupled GC-electroantennogram (GC-EAG) recordings from the antennae of An. gambiae showed robust responses to 4 compounds: humulene, (E)-caryophyllene, terpinolene and myrcene. In olfactometer bioassays, mosquitoes were attracted to humulene and terpinolene. (E)-caryophyllene was marginally attractive while myrcene elicited an avoidance response with female mosquitoes. A blend of humulene, (E)-caryophyllene and terpinolene was highly attractive to females (P < 0.001) when tested against a solvent blank. Furthermore, there was no preference when this synthetic blend was offered as a choice against the natural sample. Our study has identified the key compounds from mango juice baits that attract An. gambiae and this information may help to improve the ATSBs currently used against malaria vectors.

The 21st century has brought new challenges to the agri‐food industry due to population growth, global warming, and greater public awareness of environmental issues. Ensuring global food security for future generations is crucial. However, pests, weeds, and diseases still significantly contribute to crop losses, and the availability of effective conventional synthetic pesticides is decreasing. To address this, new and diverse pest management tools are needed. One pest management tool showing potential for invertebrate pest management is the exploitation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—in particular, the compounds 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone. This review aims to explore the extent to which 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone show potential in the future management of invertebrate crop and animal pests. A significant increase in the rate of publication of literature on the use of 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone in crop protection since 2018 is identified by this review, therefore, showing the potential importance of these compounds for use in future pest management. This review also identifies key interactions between naturally occurring biosynthesised 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone, and a range of invertebrate targets. Many of these interactions with key crop pests are sourced from the taxonomic families Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Trichomaceae. However, analysis of the practical application of these sources in an integrated pest management programme identifies clear limitations with the use of naturally occurring biosynthesised 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone. Rather, future focus should be placed on the development and exploitation of synthesised nature identical 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone for use as a biopesticide product. Overall, 1‐octen‐3‐ol and 3‐octanone show potential for exploitation in future crop protection, being abundant in source and diversity of invertebrate interactions. However, their use as a naturally occurring biosynthesised chemical is likely not practical for direct implementation in crop protection. Rather, focus should be placed on the development and exploitation of synthesised nature identical variants of these compounds for use as a biopesticide.