Which of the following is not an example of sex pheromone?
(a)Bombykol
(b)Muskone
(c)Formic acid
(d)Civetone

Hint: Sex pheromones are released by an organism to gain attraction from an individual of the opposite sex, encourage them to mate with them, or to perform some activity closely related to sexual reproduction.

complete answer:
-Volatile pheromones are categorized under sex pheromones and they have a specific odor and play an important role in alarm sensitivity.
-Generally, female moths produce sex pheromones to attract and mate with conspecific males. It turns out that silkmoths have an extremely sensitive antenna that is capable of detecting pheromones or chemical substances that cause a change in behavior. Female silk moths release a pheromone called bombykol that can attract males up to 10 km away.
-Similarly, civetone is from civet cat and muskone from musk deer.
-Formic acid is a carboxylic acid. It is scientifically known as methanoic acid.
-It is an important compound and forms chemical intermediates in many reactions. It occurs naturally, most notable in some ants. It is not a sex pheromone.

So the correct answer is ‘Formic acid’.

Additional information:
-Pheromones can act like hormones.
-They act outside the body of the individual who secretes it.
-They are capable of affecting the behavior of the receiving individual.
-They generally act upon the hypothalamus and promote the release of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone.
-However in insects they have a strong influence by acting on their olfactory system.
There are four types of pheromones. They are releaser, primer, signaler, and modulator.

Note: Pheromones aid in reproduction, feeding, social interactions, and maternal-neonatal bonding in mammals. Bees, wasps, ants, moths, and other insects rely upon pheromones as a medium for communication.