It is active in the nose. Chemicals aside, the beach is a great place for lekking. That's what scientists call it when males gather in one place to strut their stuff to female passers-by in search of the fittest mate. For many species it is the males who have evolved brightly coloured parts of their bodies or other physical adornments to attract duller looking females. Just think of peacocks.
Fruit flies are no different.
The males woo females with their heavily pigmented rear ends. But recent genetic studies in fruit flies have also found that the sex appeal of a particular pattern or colour diminishes with time. Female fruit flies are equally smitten by males engineered to have a differently patterned rear end than normal, a recent study in Nature found. A recent Sydney study of humpback whales found these large mammals can quickly pick up new songs, learnt from other whales. It's also thought this allows a male to be more attractive to females, who may grow bored by the same old tune.