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J Chem Ecol (2012) 38:11331142 DOI 10.1007/s10886-012-0177-8
Cuticular Hydrocarbons of the South American Fruit Fly Anastrepha fraterculus: Variability with Sex and Age
Lucie Vankov & Ale Svato & Johannes Kroiss &
Martin Kaltenpoth & Ruth Rufino Do Nascimento &
Michal Hoskovec & Radka Bzov & Blanka Kalinov
Received: 2 May 2012 /Revised: 10 June 2012 /Accepted: 24 July 2012 /Published online: 5 September 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Insect cuticular hydrocarbons are usually species-specific mixtures and may serve for species and gender recognition. They are, therefore, widely used in the chemo-taxonomy 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 GCGC/ 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.
Keywords Anastrepha fraterculus species complex . Cuticular hydrocarbons . Sex-specific differences . Age-dependent production .
Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Introduction
Anastrepha (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the largest and most economically important genus of Tephritidae in most countries of North and South America (Hernndez-Ortiz and Aluja, 1993; Steck, 1999; Zucchi, 2000, 2007). Anastrepha includes 197 currently recognized species, some of which, however, are now known to be cryptic species complexes (Aluja and Norrbom, 2001). Currently, one of the most studied groups is the A. fraterculus complex. The South American fruit fly, A. fraterculus (Wiedemann), is widespread, from Texas to Argentina, with two species occurring in the Antilles. It is a highly destructive pest that imposes quarantine restrictions for...