Alkyldimethylpyrazines in the defensive spray of Phyllium westwoodii: a first for order Phasmatodea.
Phyllium westwoodii is a phasmid insect (Order Phasmatodea) belonging to the Family Phylliidae (leaf insects). These rather large and ornate creatures are known for their morphological resemblance to plant leaves for camouflage. Pyrazines are a common class of compounds used or produced by a wide variety of organisms, even humans. When an individual of P. westwoodii is disturbed, it sprays an opaque liquid from a pair of prothoracic glands, which are utilized by other phasmid species for defense. The current study has found that this liquid contains glucose and a mixture of 3-isobutyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, 2,5-dimethyl-3-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine, and 2,5-dimethyl-3-(3-methylbutyl)pyrazine. This is the first report of pyrazines found in the defensive gland spray of phasmid insects, and the first chemical analysis of glandular material from family Phylliidae.
Dossey
Aaron T
AT
Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0245, USA. Bugochem@gmail.com
Gottardo
Marco
M
Whitaker
John M
JM
Roush
William R
WR
Edison
Arthur S
AS
D000818:Animals; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007313:Insecta / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011719:Pyrazines / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification
C546790:2,5-dimethyl-3-(2-methylbutyl)pyrazine; C546791:2,5-dimethyl-3-(3-methylbutyl)pyrazine; D011719:Pyrazines; C546789:3-isobutyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine
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