Wax chemistry of two stingless bees of the Trigonisca group (Apididae: Meliponinae)

Abstract

1. 1. The wax of Trigona (Trigonisca) buyssoni and T. (T.) atomaria is much simplier in composition than that of Apis mellifera and consists of hydrocarbon (59.3 ± 3.5% and 70.9 ± 6.3%, respectively, by wt), wax monoester (26.8 ± 3.5% and 25.5 ± 6.3%), free fatty acid (5.4 ± 1.6% and 1.7 ± 0.9%), primary alcohol (7.0 ± 2.4 and 1.0 ± 0.9%), and unidentified more polar material (1.5 ± 0.1% and 0.3 ± 0.5%). No diols, hydroxy acids or their esters were detected in the wax of Trigona. 2. 2. The hydrocarbons in both species range in chain length from C 21 to C 37 and consist of n-alkanes (90.2% and 87.1%), alkenes (8.4% and 12.4%) and methyl branched alkanes (1.4% and 0%). 3. 3. The wax esters contain primary alcohol moieties of C 16 to C 30 in which tetracosanol, hexacosanol and octacosanol are major components. 4. 4. The fatty acid portion of the wax esters have chain lengths of 12 to 30+ carbons with 18:1 comprising over 30% of this fraction. 5. 5. The majority of free primary alcohols range from C 24 to C 30 in both species with C 24, C 26 and C 28 components predominating. 6. 6. Major free fatty acids in the wax of both species are 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1.