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Abstract
Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), a parasitoid wasp, are very keen odor detectors capable of being trained to respond to target odors. The feasibility of creating a portable, handheld volatile odor detector that utilizes M. croceipes as the chemical sensor was investigated. First, a computer vision system consisting of a laptop, web camera, and software package (Visual Cortex) was assembled. The system was able to measure the crowding behavior of five female M. croceipes hand trained to detect 3-octanone. Further, the system was able to distinguish between the crowding response of trained M. croceipes exposed to 0.5mg and 0.1mg of 3-octanone and a control within 20 seconds. Second, the computer vision system was packaged as a portable, handheld device and tested. The system was able to discriminate between the crowding response of trained M. croceipes when exposed to 3-octanone from all other treatment/training combinations (control, 3-octanone, Myrcene/Trained, Untrained).