Sexual dimorphism in the defensive secretion of a carabid beetle

A. B. Attygalle, J. Meinwald, J. K. Liebherr, T. Eisner

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

The defensive secretions of male and female Oodes americanus display striking qualitative differences. Altogether 13 carboxylic acids were identified in the secretions of the two sexes. Methacrylic, crotonic, and tiglic acids are produced exclusively by the female; the male lacks these unsaturated components, but produces their saturated analogs. 2-Methylbutyric acid is a major component produced by both sexes. Shared components also include hexanoic, (E)-2-hexenoic, benzoic, and (E)-2-octenoic acid, of which the latter two had not previously been reported from carabid beetles.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)296-299
Number of pages4
JournalExperientia
Volume47
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 1991

Keywords

  • Carabidae
  • carboxylic acids
  • defensive secretion
  • sexual dimorphism

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