title: Effect of age on cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in adult Chrysomya putoria (Diptera: Calliphoridae).
abstract: A species-specific complex mixture of highly stable cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) covers the external surface of all insects. Components can be readily analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to obtain a cuticular hydrocarbon profile, which may be used as an additional tool for the taxonomic differentiation of insect species and also for the determination of the age and sex of adult and immature forms. We used GC-MS to identify and quantify the CHCs of female and male Chrysomya putoria (Wiedemann, 1818) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) from one to five days old. CHCs ranged from C21 to C35 for females and from C21 to C37 in males. Major compounds were the same for both sexes and were 2-MeC28, C29:1, n-C29, 15-,13-MeC29, 2-MeC30, C31:1, n-C31 and 15-,13-MeC31. The relative abundance of each component, however, varied with age. Cluster Analysis using Bray-Curtis measure for abundance showed that cuticular hydrocarbon profiles are a strong and useful tool for the determination of age in adult C. putoria.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Pav. Herman Lent, sala 14, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil. Electronic address: mvbraga@ioc.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Marina Vianna
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Educação Ambiental e em Saúde, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Pav. Lauro Travassos, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil. Electronic address: zeneida@ioc.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Zeneida Teixeira
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Entomologia Médica e Forense, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Av. Brasil 4365, Pav. Herman Lent, sala 14, Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil; Mestrado Profissional em Ciências Ambientais, Universidade Severino Sombra, Av. Expedicionário Oswaldo de Almeida Ramos, 280, Vassouras, RJ 27700-000, Brazil. Electronic address: mmcqueiroz@ioc.fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Margareth Maria de Carvalho
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, CABNR, University of Nevada, Reno, MS330, 1664 North Virginia St, Office 162/145 Howard Medical Building, Reno, NV, USA. Electronic address: garyb@cabnr.unr.edu.
authors.forename: Gary James
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Blomquist
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004175:Diptera; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006838:Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D006838:Hydrocarbons
keywords: Adults; Age; Calliphoridae; Cuticular hydrocarbons; GC–MS; Sex