Abstract
The defensive secretions of the dytiscid species,Agabus seriatus (Say) andAgabus obtusatus (Say), were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The intrinsic ability ofA. Seriatus andA. Obtusatus to regenerate their prothoracic gland defensive secretions under laboratory conditions was determined by analyzing the secretions every seventh day for five weeks. Both beetles regenerated ∼ 80% of their prothoracic gland components within two weeks.A. seriatus was injected with [4-14C]cholesterol and after a three-week regeneration period 7.5% of the14Clabel was found in the steroidal defensive secretion from the prothoracic glands.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Blum, M.S. 1978. Biochemical defenses of insects, pp. 465–513,in M. Rockstein (ed.).Biochemistry of insects. Academic Press, New York.
Blunck, H. 1971. Die Schrechdrusen des Dytiscus und ihr Secret.Z. Wiss. Zool. 117:205–256.
Chapman, J.C., Lockely, W.J.S., Rees, H.H., andGoodwin, T.W. 1977. Stereochemistry of olefinic bond formation in defensive steroids ofAcilius sulcatus (Dytiscidae).Eur. J. Biochem. 81:293–298.
Clayton, R.B. 1964. The utilization of sterols by insects.J. Lipid Res. 5:3–19.
Dettner, K. 1979. Chemotaxonomy of water beetles based on their pygidial gland constituents.Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 7:129–140.
Dettner, K., andAschwinger, G. 1980. Defensive substances from pygidial glands of water beetles.Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 8:89–95.
Dorfman, R.I., andSharma, D.C. 1965. An outline of the biosynthesis of corticosteroids and androgens.Steroids 6:229–235.
Downer, R.G.H. 1978. Functional role of lipids in insects, pp. 57–92,in M. Rockstein (ed.).Biochemistry of insects. Academic Press, New York.
Duffey, S.S. 1977. Arthropod allomones: Chemical effronteries and antagonists. Proc. XV Int. Congr. Entomol., Washington, D.C.Entomol. Soc. Am. College Park, Maryland, pp. 323–394.
Eisner, H.E., Alsop, D.W., andEisner, T. 1967. Defense mechanism of arthropods. XX. Quantitative assessment of hydrogen cyanide production in two species of millipedes.Psyche 74:107–117.
Folch, J., Lees, M., andSlone Stanley, G.H. 1957. A simple method for the isolation and purification of total lipids from animal tissues.J. Biol. Chem. 226:497–509.
Johnson, G.H., andJakinovich, W., Jr. 1970. Feeding behaviour of the predaceous diving beetleCybister fimbriolatus fimbriolalus (Say).Bioscience 20:111.
Lehninger, A.L. 1975. The bisynthesis of lipids; pp. 659–691,in Biochemistry. Worth Publishers, New York.
Miller, J.R., andMumma, R.O. 1973. Defensive agents of the American water beetlesAgabus seriatus andGraphoderus liberus.J. Insect Physiol. 19:917–925.
Miller, J.R., andMumma, R.O. 1974. Seasonal quantification of the defensive steroid titer ofAgabus seriatus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 67:850–852.
Miller, J.R., andMumma, R.O. 1976. Physiological activity of water beetles defensive agents. I. Toxicity and anesthetic activity of steroids and norsequiterpenes administered in solution to the minnowPimephales promelas Raf.J. Chem. Ecol. 2:115–130.
Newhart, A.T., andMumma, R.O. 1979. Defensive secretions of three species ofAcilius (Coleoptcra: Dytiscidae) and their seasonal variations as determined by high-pressure liquid chromatography.J. Chem. Ecol. 5:643–652.
Sandor, T., andMehdi, A.Z. 1979. Steroids and evolution, pp. 1–72,in E.J.W. Barrington (ed.).Hormones and Evolution. Vol. 1. Academic Press, New York.
Schildknecht, H. 1970. The defensive chemistry of land and water beetles.Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Eng. 9:1–19.
Schildknecht, H. 1971. Evolutionary peaks in the defensive chemistry of insects.Endeavour 30:136–141.
Schildknecht, H. 1976. Protective substances of arthropods and plants.Pontif. Acad. Sci. Scr. Varia 4:1–107.
Svoboda, J.A., Kaplanis, J.N., Robbins, W.E., andThompson, M.J. 1975. Recent developments in insect steroid metabolism.Annu. Rev. Entomol. 20:205–220.
Thompson, M.J., Kaplanis, J.N., Robbins, W.E., andSvoboda, J.A. 1973. Metabolism of steroids in insects.Adv. Lipid Res. 11:219–265.
Tschinnkel, W.R. 1975. A comparative study of the chemical defensive system of Tenebrionid beetles: Chemistry of the secretions.J. Insect Physiol. 21:753–783.
Wheeler, J.W., Chung, R.H., Oh, S.K., Benfield, E.F., andNeff, S.E. 1970. Defensive secretions of cychrine beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae).Ann. Entomol. Soc. Am. 63:469–471.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Fescemyer, H.W., Mumma, R.O. Regeneration and biosynthesis of dytiscid defensive agents (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae). J Chem Ecol 9, 1449–1464 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988511
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00988511