Showcasing how semiochemicals are both multifunctional and can influence a community of organisms is a constant frontier shared by chemical ecologists and applied entomologists alike. As researchers in these fields continue to share broad and overlapping interests, converging on one system could allow for a better understanding of community interactions and the chemical substances that mediate them. Cucurbit systems are strategically positioned to study these types of interactions because they combine the elements of plant–herbivore, plant–predator, and plant pollinator into one model and are systems where researchers can pursue both basic and applied questions. In this review, we propose Cucumis sativus [cucumber], Acalymma vittatum [striped cucumber beetle], Celatoria setosa [a natural enemy], and generalist pollinators as a system for continued investigation into semiochemicals, their multifunctional roles, and their influence on both target and nontarget organisms. We believe this system is ripe for further exploration at the frontiers in chemical ecology and applied entomology.

展示化学信息素如何具有多功能性并且可以影响生物群落，是化学生态学家和应用昆虫学家共同的前沿领域。随着这些领域的研究人员继续分享广泛和重叠的兴趣，汇聚在一个系统上可以更好地了解社区相互作用和介导它们的化学物质。葫芦系统在战略上定位于研究这些类型的相互作用，因为它们将植物-食草动物、植物-捕食者和植物传粉者的元素结合到一个模型中，并且是研究人员可以同时研究基本和应用问题的系统。在这篇综述中，我们推荐Cucumis sativus [黄瓜]、Acalymma vittatum [条纹黄瓜甲虫]、 Celatoria setosa [一种天敌] 和通才传粉者作为一个系统，用于继续研究信息素、它们的多功能作用以及它们对目标和非目标生物的影响。我们相信这个系统已经成熟，可以在化学生态学和应用昆虫学的前沿进一步探索。