Moth loses its sense of smell in captivity

Domesticated silkmoth, especially females. have a much more limited perception of environmental odours compared to their wild relatives.
This was demonstrated when their responses to odour stimulation were compared to those of the closely related wild species Bombyx mandarina. The scientists recorded electroantennograms of individuals of both species that were stimulated with different scents from leaves or flowers.
Combining classical methods of electro-antennogram recordings with advanced imaging techniques to analyze responses in the olfactory centre of the silk moth brains opens new perspectives in olfactory research: from molecule to behavior.

S. Bisch-Knaden, T. Daimon, T. Shimada, B. S. Hansson, S. Sachse. Anatomical and functional analysis of domestication effects on the olfactory system of the silkmoth Bombyx mori. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 2013; 281 (1774): 20132582 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2582

Barani Raman, PhD, of the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, set out to find an answer. Using locusts, which have a relatively simple sensory system ideal for studying brain activity, he found the odors prompted neural activity in the brain that allowed the locust to correctly identify the stimulus, even
Read more at http://scienceblog.com/68079/swarming-insect-provides-clues-to-how-the-brain-processes-smells/#8bYjfuLDo2Abc7Sb.99