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In the field of chemical ecology, semiochemicals refer to the chemicals released and detect by organisms to communicate between each other. They are classified as:

  • pheromones: released and received by members of the same species (e.g. mating pheromones)
  • allomones: released by one species that affects the behavior of another species to the benefit of the originator but not the receiver (e.g. repellent odor to avoid being eaten)
  • kairomones: released by one species that affects the behavior of another species to the benefit of the receiver but not the originator (e.g. predator's odor)
  • synomones: beneficial to both emitter and receiver (e.g. organism warning a predator about its toxicity)

I find this classification very helpful and one can easily see similarities in sound communication. Has anybody heard about a similar nomenclature for sounds?

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In my experience the terms conspecific and heterospecific are typically what is used when talking about vocal communication, though this does not say anything about intentionality/receiver necessarily. Heterospecific recognition is used to describe situations in which one species understands a call from another species (most common with different species recognizing each others' alarm calls).

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