Cuticular hydrocarbons of tsetse flies II:Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, G. palpalis palpalis, G. p. gambiensis, G. tachinoides, andG. brevipalpis

Abstract

The alkanes (methylalkanes) were analyzed from both sexes of four members of thepalpalis group of tsetse flies,Glossina fuscipes fuscipes, G. palpalis gambiensis, G. palpalis palpalis, G. tachinoides plus onefusca group member, G. brevipalpis, to determine structures, abundances, and the presence of unique or specific methylalkanes. These insects are unique in that trimethylalkanes were major components except in femaleG. tachinoides and both sexes ofG. brevipalpis where 2-methylalkanes were the major components. The identification of novel long-chain tetramethylalkanes, including 11,15,19,23-tetramethylpentatriacontane, a minor component of femaleG. f. fuscipes, G. p. gambiensis, andG. p. palpalis, is reported here. Tetramethylalkanes were significant components of both sexes ofG. brevipalpis. The major tetramethylalkane in G.brevipalpis is 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhen-triacontane. The use of the methylalkanes as taxonomic indicators in tsetse is discussed.