VARIATION IN THE SURFACE-LIPIDS OF THE GRASSHOPPER, SCHISTOCERCA-AMERICANA (DRURY) Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Cuticular lipids of adult Schistocerca americana from a number of different localities were analysed. The most abundant n-alkanes had chain lengths of C25, C27, C29 and C3. The principal methyl-branched alkanes had 33, 35 and 37 carbon atoms in the backbone. There was greater variation in the overall patterns of components between populations than within populations. Insects reared in the laboratory on three different species of plant exhibited the same ranges of components, but the pattern differed according to the food plant. No differences were observed in the cuticular hydrocarbons of the two sexes. The variation in the hydrocarbon patterns of laboratory-reared insects was generally within the range of that observed in the field-collected insects, but the effects of food plant show that for taxonomic studies the use of laboratory-reared insects must be viewed with caution. 1994.

published proceedings

  • BIOCHEMICAL SYSTEMATICS AND ECOLOGY

author list (cited authors)

  • ESPELIE, K., CHAPMAN, R. F., & SWORD, G. A.

citation count

  • 17

complete list of authors

  • ESPELIE, K||CHAPMAN, RF||SWORD, GA

publication date

  • September 1994