“…In humans, and generally in mammals, skin bacteria interacts with gene products of the major histocompatibility complex to determine the scent of an individual, which in turn influences partner preferences and siblings recognition (Boyse et al, 1987;Manning et al, 1992;Wedekind et al, 1995;Setchell et al, 2011). In arthropods, cuticular hydrocarbons are also used for olfactory-based interactions such as mate Richardson, 1974, 1976;Singer, 1998;Ferveur, 2005) and kin recognition (for a review see Singer, 1998). Bacteria are known to affect the smell of an organism (Natsch et al, 2006), but, although the interplay between bacteria and the major histocompatibility complex in mammals is recognised, only recently have attempts focused on the effect of gut bacteria on olfactory-determined behaviours in arthropods.…”