title: Cuticular hydrocarbons of the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus: variability with sex and age.
abstract: Insect cuticular hydrocarbons are usually species-specific mixtures and may serve for species and gender recognition. They are, therefore, widely used in the chemotaxonomy and zoogeography of various insect taxa. In order to provide a basic study for further comparative analyses of cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles of cryptic species hidden within the South American fruit fly Anastrepha fraterculus complex (Diptera: Tephritidae), we analyzed the composition of the CHCs and their production with respect to age and sex in a laboratory population from Tucuman, Argentina. Several techniques of gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection have been used in order to develop a suitable method for CHC identification, i.e., GC-MS in EI mode, GC-MS in CI mode, and GC×GC/TOFMS. Our analyses revealed a complex profile of aliphatic hydrocarbons in both males and females, consisting predominantly of n-alkanes, methyl-branched alkanes, as well as of alkenes and alkadienes. In young individuals (up to about 5 days after emergence), the CHC profiles were similar in males and females. However, in older flies, these profiles diverged and became clearly sex-specific. The temporal dynamics of the CHC patterns in both sexes were evaluated using multivariate exploratory techniques.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the AS CR, v.v.i., Flemingovo nám. 2, CZ-166 10 Prague 6, Czech Republic. lucielisboa@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lucie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vaníčková
authors.forename: Aleš
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Svatoš
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kroiss
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaltenpoth
authors.forename: Ruth Rufino
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Do Nascimento
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoskovec
authors.forename: Radka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Břízová
authors.forename: Blanka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kalinová
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D033621:Tephritidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons