ISSN:
1420-9071
Keywords:
Coleoptera
;
chemical defense
;
steroids
;
pregnanes
;
isoprenoids
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary The defensive anal effluent discharged bySilpha americana in response to disturbance contains a mixture of steroids stemming from a glandular annex of the rectum. The compounds have been characterized as 15β-hydroxyprogesterone (1, principal component), 5β-pregnan-15β-ol-3, 20-dione (2), 5β-pregnan-3α, 15β-diol-20-one (3), 5β-pregnan-7β, 15β-diol-3,20-dione (4), 5β-pregnan-3α, 7β, 15β-triol-20-one (5), 5β-pregnan-16α-ol-3,20-dione (6), and 5β-pregnan-3α, 16α-diol-20-one (7), none previously found in insects. Bioassays with jumping spiders showed compounds1 and6 to be feeding deterrents at the 1 μg level.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF01966178
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