Abstract: Sex pheromones are central to mate recognition in moths and often contribute to premating isolation and evolutionary divergence. In moths, female-produced pheromone blends are typically highly species-specific, and even subtle variation in blend composition or component ratios can alter male attraction and reinforce reproductive barriers between closely related species. Recent advances in genomics, functional genetics, and receptor characterization have substantially enhanced our understanding of how pheromone communication systems diverge in sympatric moths through the coevolution of female signals and male perception. Noctuid moths, with their well-documented pheromone production and communication systems, provide an excellent model for studying the evolution of species-specific mate recognition. Here, we review recent advances in the study of pheromone communication in noctuid moths, focusing on three interconnected aspects: pheromone biosynthesis, receptor-mediated recognition, and the evolutionary processes underlying communication divergence. We also assess the extent to which current data support a link between pheromone divergence, male preference, and premating reproductive isolation. Although direct empirical evidence connecting molecular changes to long-term lineage splitting remains limited, noctuid moths provide a powerful comparative system for investigating how chemical communication evolves and contributes to reproductive divergence in insects. More broadly, they offer a tractable model for understanding how signal-receiver coevolution and gene-family evolution interact during premating isolation and lineage divergence in chemically communicating animals.

Key words: divergence, noctuid moths, pheromone communication, pheromone receptor, premating isolation, sex pheromone