My research program is focused on chemical communication systems.    These include studies on sex pheromone systems of moths, beetles, cockroaches, etc., as well as host plant attractants of Rhagoletis flies.   Efforts in the past centered on the characterization of sex pheromone blends, but now also include research on a) male perception of these blends and how odor discrimination is processed  in peripheral and central olfactory systems, including work on interspecific antennal transplants, b) biosynthetic pathways for the pheromone components, and c) the characterization of genes for key enzymes in these pathways, particularly the unique desaturases found in moth pheromone glands.   Research with host volatiles is being conducted with the use of SPME and GC/EAD techniques to define key plant volatile components that are behaviorally active in attracting flies to specific fruit.   Efforts are made with all projects to transfer knowledge and techniques to applied programs on the control of pest species.

Memberships
American Chemical Society
Entomological Society of America
Sigma Xi
American Association for the Advancement of Science
National Academy of Sciences
American Academy for Arts and Sciences
International Society of Chemical Ecology

Honors and Awards

1973    J. Everett Bussart Memorial Award (Entomological Society of America)
1977    Alexander von Humboldt Award
1978    Outstanding Alumni Award, Central College
1980    ESA Founder's Memorial Award Lecturer
1982    Wolf Prize (Agriculture)        
1983    Distinguished Achievement Award, Eastern Branch, ESA
1983    Distinguished Alumnus Award, Indiana University
1983    National Medal of Science
1985    Distinguished Scientist Luncheon, White House
1985    Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
1985    Honorary Doctor of Science, Central College
1985    Elected to National Academy of Sciences
1986    USDA Distinguished Service Award
1986    Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
1987    Fellow, Entomological Society of America
1988    Honorary Doctor of Science, Hobart & William Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY
1988    Honorary Doctor of Science, Indiana University
1989    Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, University of Lund, Sweden
1989    Honorary Doctor of Science, Free University of Brussels, Belgium
1990    Silver Medal, International Society of Chemical Ecology
1994    Sterling Hendricks Award, ACS, Agrochemicals Division
2001    Spencer Award, American Chemical Society

• Xue, B., Rooney, A. P., Kajikawa, M., Okada, N., Roelofs, W. L.  2007.  Novel sex pheromone desaturases in the genomes of corn borers generated through gene duplication and retroposon fusion. Proc. Natl. Aca. Sci. USA   104: 4467 – 4472.

• Linn, Jr., C. E.  Dambroski, Hattie,  Nojima, Satoshi,  Feder, Jeffrey L.,  Berlocher,  Stewart H.,  Roelofs, Wendell L.  2005. Variability in response specificity of apple, hawthorn, and flowering dogwood-infesting Rhagoletis flies to host fruit volatile blends: Implications for sympatric host shifts. Entomol. Exp. Appl. 116: 55–64.

• Nojima, S., Schal, C., Webster, F. X., Santangelo, R. G., Roelofs, W. L.  2005.  Identification of the sex pheromone of the German cockroach, Blattella germanica. Science  307: 1104-1106.

• Linn, Jr., C. E., Dambroski, H. R., Feder, J. L., Berlocher, S. H., Nojima, S., Roelofs, W. L.  2004. Postzygotic isolating factor in sympatric speciation in Rhagoletis flies: Reduced response of hybrids to parental host-fruit odors.  Proc. Natl. Aca. Sci. USA 10: 17753-17758.

• Roelofs, W. L. and Rooney, A. P.  2003.  Molecular genetics and evolution of pheromone biosynthesis in Lepidoptera.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA  100:  9179-9184.

• Roelofs, W. L.,  Liu, W., Hao, G., Jiao, H., Rooney, A. P., and Linn, Jr., C. E.  2002.  Evolution of moth sex pheromones via ancestral genes.  Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 99: 13621-13626.