Abstract
Chauliognathus fallax Germar 1824 (Coleoptera: Cantharidae) occurs in North and South America and Australia. Gas chromatographic (GC) analyses of volatiles released by adults showed the presence of a male specific compound. GC coupled with electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) showed that this compound is exclusively bioactive on female antennae, suggesting it to be a sex pheromone. GC coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (GC-FTIR), as well as dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) derivatization and hydrogenation, suggested the target compound to be (Z)-tricos-11-ene. Unambiguous structural proof was achieved by independent synthesis, whereas the biological significance of the compound as a sex pheromone was confirmed by field bioassays.
Highlights
Beetles belonging to the Cantharidae family are referred to as soldier or leatherwing beetles
Gas chromatographic (GC) coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was carried out on a Shimadzu QP2010-Plus mass spectrometer under the experimental conditions described above
Comparison of GC chromatograms of aeration extracts from males and females Chauliognathus fallax showed the presence of a male specific compound (1) (Figure 1a), which proved to be active in GC-EAD assays, using the antennae of conspecific females (Figure 1b)
Summary
Beetles belonging to the Cantharidae family are referred to as soldier or leatherwing beetles. The resulting mixture was stirred for 15 min at –78 °C, and triehtylamine was added (3.6 mL, 26 mmol).
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