Epicuticular wax of large and small white butterflies, Pieris brassicae and P. rapae crucivora: qualitative and quantitative comparison between diapause and non-diapause pupae.
We compared the quantity and quality of the epicuticular wax of diapause and non-diapause pupae in two closely related Pieris species, P. brassicae and P. rapae crucivora. Main components of their epicuticular wax were identified as hydrocarbons. In P. brassicae, more than 95% of hydrocarbons were saturated regardless of whether the pupae were in diapause or not. In P. rapae crucivora, 93% of hydrocarbons were saturated in non-diapause pupae whereas in diapause pupae 41% were saturated and 59% unsaturated. From measurements of body surface area by nuclear magnetic resonance microimaging, we calculated the average thickness of the wax layer. The thickness in diapause and non-diapause pupae of P. brassicae was 800 and 160 nm, respectively. In P. rapae crucivora, the thickness was 195 nm in diapause and 11 nm in non-diapause. This is the first report to clarify the compositional difference in epicuticular wax between diapause and non-diapause pupae.
Kaneko
Junichi
J
National Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region, Hitsujigaoka 1, 062-8555 Sapporo, Japan. jkpure47@affrc.go.jp
Katagiri
Chihiro
C
D000818:Animals; D002080:Butterflies / Q000254:growth & development*; D005260:Female; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010058:Oviposition; D011679:Pupa / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014885:Waxes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D006838:Hydrocarbons; D014885:Waxes