title: Sexual dimorphism in the defensive secretion of a carabid beetle.
abstract: The defensive secretions of male and female Oodes americanus display striking qualitative differences. Altogether 13 carboxylic acids were identified in the secretions of the two sexes. Methacrylic, crotonic, and tiglic acids are produced exclusively by the female; the male lacks these unsaturated components, but produces their saturated analogs. 2-Methylbutyric acid is a major component produced by both sexes. Shared components also include hexanoic, (E)-2-hexenoic, benzoic, and (E)-2-octenoic acid, of which the latter two had not previously been reported from carabid beetles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Attygalle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meinwald
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Liebherr
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Eisner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013055:Spectrophotometry, Infrared
chemical_list: D002264:Carboxylic Acids