Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiling Reveals Chemotaxonomic Diversity among <i>Gonipterini weevils</i> (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have been used as a chemotaxonomic tool to support the classification and identification of various insect species for decades. However, there have been limited research performed on the CHC profiles of weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), despite the extensive diversit...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Joel B. Johnson
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:Biology and Life Sciences Forum
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-9976/15/1/5
Description
Summary:Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) have been used as a chemotaxonomic tool to support the classification and identification of various insect species for decades. However, there have been limited research performed on the CHC profiles of weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), despite the extensive diversity and ecological significance of this family. In this study, CHCs were extracted from fifteen Gonipterini weevil specimens from eastern Australia, comprising five species from three genera. Analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed the presence of over 90 compounds, with the most abundant compounds including nonacosane, 7-methylheptacosane, heptacosane and hexacosane. Principal component analysis revealed <i>Bryachus squamicollis</i> to be the most dissimilar species in terms of its CHC profile, while the two <i>Oxyops</i> species showed relatively similar CHC profiles. The results may support the use of CHC profiling as a chemotaxonomic tool for the identification and delineation of various Gonipterini genera and species.
ISSN:2673-9976