Studies on the Cuticle of the GrasshopperMelanoplus bivittatus(Say) (Orthoptera: Acrididae): III. On the Physical Nature of the Transition Region of Insect Waxes

Abstract

It has now been well established that the cuticle of many insects is covered by a discrete layer of lipoidal material. Ramsay (26), Wigglesworth (32), Beament (4), and others have shown that the rate of evaporation-temperature curves from insects are characterized by breaks occuring at a “critical” temperature. In the previous paper of this seriis, Chefurka and Pepper (8) have shown that the rate of evaporation-temperature curves from Melanoplus bivittatus show a transition region from approximately 43 to 50°C.