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CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS AS A TOOL FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF INSECT SPECIES: PUPARIAL CASES FROM SARCOPHAGIDAE
Insect identification
Diptera
Sarcophagidae
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Forensic entomology
Author
Affilliation
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Leishmanioses. Setor de Entomologia Médica e Forense. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Educação Ambiental e em Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Programa de Doutorado em Ciências Veterinárias. Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Intituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Leishmanioses. Setor de Entomologia Médica e Forense. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
University of Nevada. CABNR. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Reno, North Virginia, USA.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Instituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Educação Ambiental e em Saúde. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil / Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro. Instituto de Veterinária. Programa de Doutorado em Ciências Veterinárias. Seropédica, RJ, Brasil.
Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Intituto Oswaldo Cruz. Laboratório de Transmissores de Leishmanioses. Setor de Entomologia Médica e Forense. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
University of Nevada. CABNR. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Reno, North Virginia, USA.
Abstract
The external surface of all insects is covered by a species-specific complex mixture of highly
stable, very long chain cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs). Gas chromatography coupled to mass
spectrometry was used to identify CHCs from four species of Sarcophagidae, Peckia (Peckia)
chrysostoma, Peckia (Pattonella) intermutans, Sarcophaga (Liopygia) ruficornis and Sarcodexia
lambens. The identified CHCs were mostly a mixture of n-alkanes, monomethylalkanes and
dimethylalkanes with linear chain lengths varying from 23 to 33 carbons. Only two alkenes were
found in all four species. S. lambens had a composition of CHCs with linear chain lengths varying
from C23 to C33, while the other three species linear chain lengths from 24 to 31 carbons. n-
Heptacosane, n-nonacosane and 3-methylnonacosane, n-triacontane and n-hentriacontane occurred
in all four species. The results show that these hydrocarbon profiles may be used for the
taxonomic differentiation of insect species and are a useful additional tool for taxonomic
classification, especially when only parts of the insect specimen are available.
Keywords
Cuticular hydrocarbonsInsect identification
Diptera
Sarcophagidae
Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
Forensic entomology
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