Honor Endorsement and Increased Firearm Purchasing Behavior and Intentions During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The surge in firearm sales from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have been linked to increases in firearm violence, which is of public concern given that having firearms in one's home is associated with increased risk for domestic violence and suicide. Consistent with pre-pandemic trends, individuals tended to purchase firearms for self-protection during COVID-19. Prior work indicates that protective firearm ownership is motivated not only by perceptions that the world (and one's local environment) is dangerous, but also by one's endorsement of masculinity norms found in U.S. cultures of honor (primarily southern and western states). Honor-based masculinity norms emphasis reputation defense, toughness, and an absolute intolerance of disrespect. The present research examined the relative motivating influences of various threat perceptions and masculine honor endorsement in predicting reasons for non-COVID-19 firearm ownership, firearm purchasing during COVID-19, and purchase intentions. Three separate samples (total N = 2483) of mostly White U.S. men completed online surveys during different months of the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed measures of their endorsement of masculine honor norms, factors associated with firearm purchasing (e.g., dangerous world beliefs, intolerance of uncertainty), and firearm purchasing behaviors. Results indicated that masculine honor endorsement was higher among (1) protective firearm owners compared to non-owners and non-protective owners, (2) firearm owners who purchased a firearm during COVID-19 compared to non-owners and non-purchasing owners, and (3) firearm owners with intentions to purchase firearms in the next year compared to those without intentions and undecided owners. Relative to other predictors (e.g., COVID-19 concerns, dangerous world beliefs), masculine honor endorsement was consistently the strongest predictor of these outcomes. Findings add to the literature by highlighting the strength of masculine honor endorsement in motivating (protective) firearm ownership. Implications for interpersonal violence and suicide are discussed.

The role of emotional suppression and emotional beliefs in explaining the honor-suicide link.

INTRODUCTION: Prior research has established individuals living in cultures of honor to be at higher risk for suicide. However, research has yet to examine how emotion regulation may play a role in explaining this link. The current research intended to address if those who endorse honor norms, who are keen to protect their reputation, might engage in emotional suppression as a way to avoid being seen as weak, thus heightening their risk for suicide. METHOD: Data were collected using a survey design across three studies (total N = 988). Studies 1 and 2 were cross-sectional designs with MTurk and undergraduate samples. Study 3 was conducted longitudinally using CloudResearch. RESULTS: Results demonstrated those higher in honor endorsement engage in emotional suppression to avoid being seen as weak (Study 1), that emotional suppression and subsequent depression indirectly explain the relationship between honor endorsement and suicide attempts (Study 2), and that relationships between honor endorsement and changes in suicidal ideation are explained by emotional suppression and depressive symptomology (Study 3). CONCLUSION: Findings provide needed insight into the daily emotional experiences of honor endorsers and how it may influence suicidality, providing a point of entry for clinicians to construct meaningful honor-oriented intervention programs.

Perceived reputation moderates the link between honor concerns and depressive symptoms.

Prior research has shown that U.S. cultures of honor have higher rates of depression and suicide. While links between honor endorsement and suicide have been established in the literature, a direct test of the primary mechanism underlying this association (reputation damage leading to depression) has not yet been tested. The current study sought to address whether shifts in perceived reputation might be associated with higher levels of depression for honor endorsing individuals. An online sample of 305 participants were tracked across two time points, assessing perceived individual reputation and perceived family reputation, as well as depressive symptoms. Analyses revealed that higher levels of honor concern at Time 1 were linked with higher levels of depressive symptoms at Time 2, but only for those with low perceived reputation - these relationships held while controlling for the stability in reputation and depression across time points, as well as controlling for participants' gender. Findings provide the first empirical evidence that reputation damage may contribute to detriments in mental health in honor endorsers.

Can't stop won't stop: problematic phone use, sleep quality, and mental health in U.S. Graduate students.

OBJECTIVE: Prior work has suggested the impact of problematic phone use on the mental health of graduate students. This research explores the mediating effect of sleep quality on this link. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 186 graduate students from the United States were collected using an online data acquisition platform. Graduate study areas represented a wide range of subjects. METHODS: Participants completed questionnaires about problematic phone use, sleep quality, and both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Phone use was further broken down into time spent on specific phone applications. RESULTS: Analyses revealed significant indirect effects from problematic phone use to both depression and anxiety through diminished sleep quality. Effects were stronger for individuals who spent higher amounts of time on social media applications. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that U.S. graduate students are particularly prone to the negative effects of problematic phone use. Implications for interventions in graduate programs are discussed.

Stored alcohol and fatty acid intermediates and the biosynthesis of sex pheromone aldehyde in the moth Chloridea virescens.

In most species of moths, the female produces and releases a volatile sex pheromone from a specific gland to attract a mate. Biosynthesis of the most common type of moth sex pheromone component (Type 1) involves de novo synthesis of hexadecanoate (16:Acyl), followed by modification to various fatty acyl intermediates, then reduction to a primary alcohol, which may be acetylated or oxidized to produce an acetate ester or aldehyde, respectively. Our previous work on the moth Chloridea virescens (Noctuidae) showed that females produce 90% of the major pheromone component, (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald), via a direct and rapid route of de novo biosynthesis with highly labile intermediates, and ca. 10% from an indirect route that likely mobilizes a pre-synthesized 16-carbon skeleton, possibly, (Z)-11-hexadecenoate (Z11-16:Acyl) or hexadecanoate (16:Acyl). In this paper, we use stable isotope tracer/tracee techniques to study the dynamics of the precursor alcohol (Z)-11-hexadecenol (Z11-16:OH) and stores of Z11-16:Acyl and 16:Acyl to determine their roles in biosynthesis of Z11-16:Ald. We found: (i) that intracellular Z11-16:OH is synthesized at roughly the same rate as Z11-16:Ald, indicating that translocation and oxidation of this moiety does not rate limit biosynthesis of Z11-16:Ald, (ii) intracellular Z11-16:OH consists of two pools, a highly labile one rapidly translocated out of the cell and converted to Z11-16:Ald, and a less labile one that mostly remains in gland cells, (iii) during pheromone biosynthesis, net stores of Z11-16:Acyl increase, suggesting it is not the source of Z11-16:Ald produced by the indirect route, and (iv) no evidence for the gland synthesizing stored 16:Acyl prior to (up to 2 days before eclosion), or after, synthesis of pheromone commenced, suggesting the bulk of this stored moiety is synthesized elsewhere and transported to the gland prior to gland maturation. Thus, the pheromone gland of C. virescens produces very little stored fat over its functional lifetime, being optimized to produce sex pheromone.

Long-term visual acuity outcomes following cataract surgery in eyes with ocular inflammatory disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term visual acuity (VA) outcome of cataract surgery in inflammatory eye disease. SETTING: Tertiary care academic centres. DESIGN: Multicentre retrospective cohort study. METHODS: A total of 1741 patients with non-infectious inflammatory eye disease (2382 eyes) who underwent cataract surgery while under tertiary uveitis management were included. Standardised chart review was used to gather clinical data. Multivariable logistic regression models with adjustment for intereye correlations were performed to evaluate the prognostic factors for VA outcomes. Main outcome measure was VA after cataract surgery. RESULTS: Uveitic eyes independent of anatomical location showed improved VA from baseline (mean 20/200) to within 3 months (mean 20/63) of cataract surgery and maintained through at least 5 years of follow-up (mean 20/63). Eyes that achieved 20/40 or better VA at 1 year were more likely to have scleritis (OR=1.34, p<0.0001) or anterior uveitis (OR=2.2, p<0.0001), VA 20/50 to 20/80 (OR 4.76 as compared with worse than 20/200, p<0.0001) preoperatively, inactive uveitis (OR=1.49, p=0.03), have undergone phacoemulsification (OR=1.45 as compared with extracapsular cataract extraction, p=0.04) or have had intraocular lens placement (OR=2.13, p=0.01). Adults had better VA immediately after surgery, with only 39% (57/146) paediatric eyes at 20/40 or better at 1 year. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that adult and paediatric eyes with uveitis typically have improved VA following cataract surgery and remain stable thereafter for at least 5 years.

Concurrence of Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid in Chronic Ocular Graft-Versus-Host Disease.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to report a series of 3 patients with ocular graft-versus-host disease (oGVHD) with progressive cicatricial conjunctival changes who were diagnosed with ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) after conjunctival biopsy. METHODS: This study was a retrospective case series. RESULTS: Three patients who received hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for hematologic malignancies developed oGVHD and subsequently were diagnosed with OCP. Case 1 was a 73-year-old woman with oGVHD who developed symblepharon and showed positive IgA, IgG, and C3 staining of the basement membrane zone (BMZ) on conjunctival biopsy, consistent with OCP. She was systemically treated with tacrolimus and prednisone with resolution of conjunctival inflammation. Case 2 was a 68-year-old man with oGVHD who developed symblepharon, severe dry eye, and corneal epithelial defect. An initial conjunctival biopsy was negative, but a repeat biopsy performed 10 years later showed positive BMZ IgA and IgG staining. Healing of the epithelial defect was achieved after treatment with high-dose systemic cyclosporine. Case 3 was a 75-year-old woman with oGVHD who had a nonhealing corneal epithelial defect and symblepharon with positive IgA BMZ staining on conjunctival biopsy, consistent with OCP. The patient responded well to methotrexate with healing of the epithelial defect. CONCLUSIONS: Although low-grade conjunctival fibrotic changes may be observed in chronic oGVHD, development of severe and progressive cicatricial changes, including symblepharon formation, should prompt consideration of biopsy to rule out concurrent OCP, the management of which differs from that of oGVHD.

Veteran suicide rates mirror, but do not account for, elevated suicide rates among the general population in US cultures of honor.

INTRODUCTION: Veteran total and firearm suicide rates are higher compared to the general population. Among the general population, total and firearm suicide rates are higher in US states deemed cultures of honor compared to non-honor states, likely because honor states have higher firearm ownership rates and fewer firearm laws. Considering that veterans tend to live in states with fewer firearm laws and that veteran population rates predict both statewide total and firearm suicide rates, it is possible that the elevated suicide rates seen in honor states in part due to those states having a greater presence of veterans compared to non-honor states. METHOD: Publicly available databases were used to obtain total and firearm suicide rates (per 100 k) for veterans and non-veterans, as well as our covariates (e.g., rurality). RESULTS: Veteran population proportions were higher in honor states than non-honor states. Veteran and non-veteran total and firearm suicide rates were higher in honor states compared to non-honor states. Statewide differences in all four suicide rates were indirectly explained by honor states having higher firearm ownership than non-honor states. CONCLUSIONS: These findings add to a growing body of literature showing that enacting firearm regulations may be a viable public health approach for preventing suicide.

Invincible honor: masculine honor, perceived invulnerability, and risky decision-making.

Masculine honor ideology is characterized by the cultivation, maintenance, and defense of reputations for toughness, bravery, and strength. The link between masculine honor endorsement and increased risk-taking - especially an increased tolerance for and even expectation of violence - is well-established in the literature. However, little empirical research has examined what factors might explain this relationship. This study investigates perceived invulnerability, the cognitive bias that one is immune to threats, as a mediator in the relationship between masculine honor ideology and risky decision-making. Results show moderate support for this relationship's existence. These findings elaborate on previous research between honor and specific risky decisions by demonstrating honor to instill cognitive biases in its adherents that make them more tolerant of risk, and thus more likely to decide to engage in risky behaviors. The implications of these findings for interpreting previous research, guiding future research, and pursuing specific educational and policy-based efforts are discussed.

Damaged Masculinity: How Honor Endorsement Can Influence Prostate Cancer Screening Decision-Making and Prostate Cancer Mortality Rates.

Prior research has established factors that contribute to the likelihood that men seek out prostate cancer screenings. The current study addresses how endorsing the ideology found in cultures of honor may serve as a barrier to prostate cancer screenings. Two studies were conducted which analyzed the impact of stigma on men's decisions to seek out prostate cancer screenings (Study 1) as well as how prostate cancer deaths may be higher in the culture of honor regions due to men's reticence to seek out screenings (Study 2). Results suggest that older, honor-endorsing men are less likely to have ever sought out a prostate cancer screening due to screening stigma and that an honor-oriented region (southern and western United States) displays higher rates of prostate cancer death than a non-honor-oriented region (northern United States). These findings suggest that honor may be a cultural framework to consider when practitioners address patients' screening-related concerns.

When culture and health collide: feminine honor endorsement and attitudes toward catch-up HPV vaccinations in college women.

Sexual promiscuity stigma constitutes a significant barrier which prevents young women from receiving catch-up human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations. Our objective was to explore how this stigma may be particularly detrimental to women in cultures of honor, where women are expected to maintain a reputation of sexual purity.Participants were a sample of 182 young women who had not previously received an HPV vaccination.We measured feminine honor endorsement, HPV sexual promiscuity stigma, HPV vaccination shame, HPV vaccination intentions, and a set of covariates.Analyses revealed that the significant association between feminine honor endorsement and HPV vaccination intentions is fully explained by HPV sexual purity stigma and HPV vaccination shame.These findings indicate that honor-endorsing women are significantly impacted by sexual purity stigma, minimizing intentions to receive HPV vaccinations. These findings also highlight the need for the inclusion of cultural factors in the study of HPV vaccine uptake.

A Brief Review of Chiropractic Educational Programs and Recommendations for Celebrating Education on Chiropractic Day.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the growth of chiropractic education globally and a chronological list of current training programs. Another purpose is to provide exemplars of enduring programs and offer suggestions for how chiropractic practitioners may celebrate education on Chiropractic Day, which is September 18. Discussion: Chiropractic education has transformed considerably over the past 125 years, and there are now 52 programs globally. We consider the 5 longest-existing chiropractic programs and propose hypotheses for what may have contributed to their durability. In addition, we offer ideas and opportunities for how chiropractic practitioners may focus on chiropractic education when celebrating the founding of the profession. Conclusion: Since its inception, chiropractic education has expanded around the world and continues to develop. Recognized accreditation agencies and testing organizations are ensuring that standards of education are established and maintained internationally. With innovation, international collaboration, and a commitment to continuous professional development, the future of chiropractic education is bright. We urge chiropractic practitioners from all over the world to celebrate these accomplishments on Chiropractic Day.

Eco-anxiety in everyday life: facing the anxiety and fear of a degraded Earth in analytic work.

This paper focuses on eco-anxiety, an over-arching term used to describe anxiety caused by the climate crisis and the impacts of environmental contamination, environmental disasters, species extinctions and ecological system degradation. A brief literature review of eco-anxiety is provided from both psychoanalytic and Jungian perspectives which includes a discussion of Jung's view of our split with nature, displacement anxiety, precarity, climate change denial, and anticipatory anxiety. The author draws on his own theory of what he calls the Nature archetype to explicate the psychological changes brought about by our environmental crisis that cause increased anxiety, depression, PTSD and which, sometimes, lead to suicide. Two clinical vignettes are provided. The first shows how eco-complexes cluster around and interweave with generalized anxiety disorder, and the way in which eco-anxiety can be incorporated into a fusional complex that draws the analyst into a fusional field experienced as a state of connection and disconnection over both personal and collective material. The second vignette illustrates the way in which eco-complexes, eco-anxiety and environmental issues are interwoven with an early childhood abuse history.

Nous sommes face à une menace concernant la planète du fait des ravages de la crise globale du climat et de l'externalisation de nos déchets dans l'environnement, comme le montrent la mauvaise qualité de l'air, la hausse de la température et de l'acidité de l'eau, les schémas climatiques destructeurs, les extinctions sans précédent d'espèces, et un point de bascule qui n'arrête pas de se rapprocher où les changements environnementaux deviennent irréversibles. Psychologiquement, ces changements produisent une anxiété accrue, de la dépression, des PTSD (trouble de stress post-traumatique) et des suicides. Cet article se concentre sur l'éco-anxiété, un terme fondamental pour décrire l'anxiété provoquée par la crise du climat, les impacts de la contamination de l'environnement, les catastrophes environnementales et la dégradation du système écologique. Ceci provoquant une instabilité socioéconomique, de la précarité, de l'instabilité ontologique, et la peur d'un effondrement planétaire. Je m'appuie sur la documentation sur l'éco-anxiété, qui contient une discussion sur la précarité, le déni du changement climatique et l'angoisse d'anticipation. L'article contient deux vignettes cliniques. La première montre comment les éco-complexes se tissent autour et s'entremêlent avec un trouble anxieux généralisé. Elle montre également comment l'éco-anxiété est incorporée dans un complexe fusionnel qui attire l'analyste dans un champ fusionnel dans lequel il y a un état de connexion et de déconnexion à la fois sur le matériel personnel et le matériel collectif. La seconde vignette illustre comment les éco-complexes, l'éco-anxiété et les questions environnementales sont entremêlées avec une histoire infantile d'abus.

Enfrentamos una amenaza significativa al planeta a causa de los estragos producidos por la crisis climática global y la externalización de nuestros residuos en el medio ambiente, como lo demuestra la pobre calidad del aire, el incremento de temperatura y acidez del mar, los patrones climáticos destructivos, las extinciones de especies sin precedentes, y un cada vez más cercano punto de inflexión donde los cambios ambientales están deviniendo irreversibles. Psicológicamente, estos cambios causan ansiedad creciente, depresión, PTSD, y suicidio. El presente trabajo se focaliza en la eco-ansiedad, un término extensivo que describe la ansiedad causada por la crisis climática, los impactos de la contaminación ambiental, los desastres ambientales y la degradación del sistema ecológico, los cuales resultan en una inestabilidad socioeconómica, precariedad, inestabilidad ontológica, y un miedo a un colapso planetario. Me baso en la literatura sobre eco-ansiedad incluyendo una discusión sobre precariedad, la negación del cambio climático y la ansiedad anticipatoria. Se describen dos viñetas clínicas. La primera muestra como los eco-complejos se agrupan alrededor y entretejiéndose con el trastorno de ansiedad generalizada, y cómo la eco-ansiedad es incorporada en un complejo fusional que conduce al analista a un campo fusional en el cual hay un estado de conexión y desconexión de material tanto personal como colectivo. La segunda viñeta ilustra como los eco-complejos, la eco-ansiedad y los temas medio ambientales se entretejen con una historia temprana de abuso infantil.

Reinvestigation of sex pheromone biosynthesis in the moth Trichoplusiani reveals novel quantitative control mechanisms.

Many species of moths have a common control mechanism for synthesizing sex pheromone: the circadian release of pheromone biosynthesis-activation neuropeptide (PBAN) that switches pheromone synthesis on/off during the day. One apparent exception to this is the noctuid moth Trichoplusia ni (Hübner), in which pheromone synthesis appears continuous through the photoperiod, with circadian release of PBAN controlling emission rate of pheromone during calling. Sex pheromone biosynthesis was reinvestigated in T. ni using stable isotope tracer-tracee and gland sampling techniques to ascertain how pheromone quantities in gland cells and on the gland cuticular surface varied and were controlled. It was found that (i) carbohydrate from adult female feeding is used to synthesize sex pheromone, (ii) most of the stored acetate ester pheromone component(s) is contained in gland cells, (iii) a large pool of pheromone is synthesized and stored through the photoperiod with a slow turnover rate, (iv) although pheromone is synthesized throughout the photoperiod, its rate can vary, influenced by release of PBAN and possibly by an unidentified head factor, with both affecting carbohydrate uptake into the acetyl CoA pheromone precursor pool, and (v) as suggested previously, PBAN also influences translocation of pheromone out of the cell to the cuticular surface, possibly by causing breakdown of intracellular lipid droplets storing pheromone molecules. This work suggests that the quantitative synthesis and emission of pheromone in T. ni, and possibly other moths, is regulated by multiple complementary biochemical mechanisms.

The impact of snapchat usage on drunkorexia behaviors in college women.

ObjectiveResearch has shown the deleterious effects of drunkorexia behaviors. The goal of this project was to examine the impact of college women's Snapchat usage on drunkorexia behavior frequencies and motives, through comparing one's body to others and internal drives for thinness.Participants636 college women (Study 1 N = 109, Study 2 N = 527) were recruited from a large research institution in the Southwestern U.S.MethodsParticipants completed an online survey regarding Snapchat usage, body comparison indices, drive for thinness, and drunkorexia behaviors and motives.ResultsFindings support the hypotheses that Snapchat usage impacts drunkorexia behaviors in general (Study 1), and specific drunkorexia motives (Study 2). These effects were mediated by an index of body comparisons and drive for thinness.ConclusionsCollege women may be at risk for drunkorexia due to their experiences on social media. Aspects of the platform may be pushing women toward disturbed eating habits.

Socioeconomic status and mental illness stigma: the impact of mental illness controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments.

BACKGROUND: Prior research has suggested that higher levels of socioeconomic status (SES) may be linked with heightened mental illness stigma (MIS). It has been posited that this link is due to the resource-rich environment high-SES individuals live in, which predisposes them to seeing the certain phenomena as being more controllable in nature than low-SES individuals. AIMS: The current study intended to address the attributional mechanisms behind the SES-MIS link. METHODS: In a sample of 932 participants, we collected self-reported SES along with the controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments participants make for individuals with mental illnesses. RESULTS: Analyses indicated that SES was significantly associated with greater MIS levels, and that this link was significantly mediated by controllability attributions and personal responsibility judgments. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that high-SES individuals are more likely to see mental illness as due to internal, controllable factors, which leads to blaming the individual for mental illness onset and, ultimately, greater mental illness stigma. These results provide support for more socioeconomically diverse committees and panels where mental health funding decisions are made due to inherent attributional biases which may be present along the SES spectrum.

Feminine honor endorsement and young women's STI screenings.

Research has identified stigma as a significant barrier to seeking out STI screenings. Such stigma for women typically includes perceptions of sexual promiscuity or lack of loyalty to one's partner, which may ultimately lead women to be reluctant to receive an actual screening. The current study analyzed whether feminine honor endorsement, which is centered around maintaining a reputation of sexual chastity, might decrease women's likelihood to seek out an STI screening. Using a sample of 228 college women in the Southern United States, the researchers assessed levels of feminine honor endorsement, likelihood to seek out an STI screening, STI screening stigma, and STI screening shame. Results indicate that feminine honor endorsement does decrease the likelihood to seek out STI screenings for young women, and that this association is mediated by sexual purity stigma and shame (Mediated Effect-ME = -.02, SE = .01, 95% CI [-.045, -.003], p < .05). These findings reveal a culturally specific barrier for women who are soon to be in an age group where STIs occur most frequently, perhaps making this cultural mindset particularly problematic for this population. Implications for programs to increase STI screening rates in higher-risk populations are discussed.

Some Factors Influencing Calling Behavior and Mass Emission Rate of Sex Pheromone from the Gland of the Moth Chloridea virescens.

To attract a mate, females of most moth species synthesize and emit sex pheromone from a specific gland in a behavior termed "calling". In a broad temporal sense, calling behavior and pheromone synthesis are synchronized through the overlap of their circadian rhythms. However, the limited amount of pheromone a female produces each day must be managed so that pheromone is emitted at a sufficient (to attract males) mass emission rate (MER) over the entire calling period, typically many hours. We are studying pheromone synthesis and emission in the moth Chloridea (formerly Heliothis) virescens (family Noctuidae). One way that female C. virescens manage pheromone over their calling period is by calling intermittently; the period between calling bouts allows females to replenish pheromone, and resume calling at high MERs. However, militating against replenishment is loss of pheromone through putative catabolism. In this paper, we examined three aspects pertaining to pheromone MER in C. virescens: (i) the effect of adult feeding on calling behavior, (ii) the effect of certain behavioral/physical parameters on MER, and (iii) the relative loss (putative catabolism) of pheromone in retracted (non-calling) and everted (calling) glands. We found that (i) adult feeding increases calling duration, consistent with the known concomitant increase in pheromone production, (ii) various physical factors relating to the gland, including degree of eversion (surface area), orientation to airstream, and air velocity over the gland influence MER, and (iii) putative catabolism occurs in both retracted and everted glands, but substantially less pheromone is lost in the everted gland primarily because of the high MER when the gland is first everted. Together, these data demonstrate that, over the calling period, the efficient use of pheromone for emission by female C. virescens is dependent on the interaction among synthesis, storage, catabolism, and calling behavior.

Sex pheromone biosynthesis, storage and release in a female moth: making a little go a long way.

Moth pheromone research has pioneered much of our understanding of long-distance chemical communication. Two important characteristics of this communication have, however, remained largely unaddressed: the release of small quantities of pheromone by most moth species, despite potential advantages of releasing greater amounts, and the intermittency of release in some species, limiting the time of mate attraction. We addressed the proximate mechanisms underlying these characteristics by manipulating biosynthesis, storage and release of pheromone in females of the noctuid moth Chloridea virescens. We found that (i) mass release is determined by pheromone mass on the gland surface; (ii) amounts synthesized are limited by pheromone biosynthesis activating neuropeptide concentration, not precursor availability; (iii) some gland structural feature limits mass release rate; (iv) intermittent calling enables release at a mass rate greater than biosynthetic rate; and (v) at typical mass release rates, the periodicity of pheromone availability on the gland surface roughly matches the periodicity (intermittency) of calling. We conclude that mass release in C. virescens and possibly many other species is low because of constraints on biosynthesis, storage and gland structure. Further, it appears the behaviour of intermittent calling in C. virescens may have evolved as a co-adaptation with pheromone availability, allowing females to release pheromone intermittently at higher mass rates than the biosynthesis rate.