ARS | Publication request: NOVEL WAX ESTERS AND HYDROCARBONS IN THE CUTICULAR SURFACE LIPIDS OF THE RED HARVESTER ANT, POGONOMYRMEX BARBATUS

Submitted to: Abstracts 2000 Annual Meeting of Entomological Society Of America
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: December 12, 2000
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: The cuticular surface lipids of the red harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex barbatus, were found to contain minor amounts of novel wax esters, as well as hydrocarbons. The wax esters ranged in carbon number from C19 to C31 and consisted of esters of both odd- and even-numbered alcohols and acids. Each wax ester with a given carbon number eluted at several different retention times indicating possible methyl branching in either the fatty acid or alcohol moiety, or in both moieties. Each eluting peak of wax esters consisted of a mixture of wax esters of the same carbon number in which the fatty acid moiety ranged from C8 to C18, and the alcohol moiety ranged from C8 to C17. The hydrocarbons consisted of n-alkanes, C23 to C33, odd-numbered n-alkenes, C27 to C35, and the major components, methyl- branched alkanes, C26 to over C49. Notable components of the methyl- branched alkanes were 2-methyltriacontane, and the novel trimethylalkanes with a single methylene between the first and second branch points, 13,15,19-trimethylhentriacontane and 13,15,21-trimethyltritriacontane.