The chemical composition of the secretions, their antibacterial activity, and the pygidial gland morphology of selected European Carabini ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae)

The pygidial glands of carabids produce strong-smelling vapours. In this study, we examined the chemical composition gland secretions and structure in five species Carabini ground beetles (one from subtribe Calosomatina four Carabina): Calosoma ( ) maderae (Fabricius, 1775), Carabus granulatus Linnaeus, 1758, C. Limnocarabus clathratus 1760, ulrichii Germar, 1823, Procerus gigas Creutzer, 1799. Additionally, tested antibacterial potential two latter against 11 bacterial strains. order to detect content secretions, used gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). secretion extracts were applied selected strains medically important bacteria. We bright-field microscopy examine morphology glands. discovered a total compounds analysed. Ten these identified as seven carboxylic acids, hydrocarbons, one aromatic aldehyde, while remained unidentified. Most components isolated C . L .) (nine), lowest number was found P (two). Methacrylic acid most dominant compound by percentage all species, angelic also detected samples. As expected, salicylaldehyde exclusively genus Weber, 1801. shown achieve highest level activity Pseudomonas aeruginosa , Salmonella enterica S. typhimurium (even same positive control streptomycin), achieved antimicrobial Staphylococcus epidermidis aureus Listeria monocytogenes Bacillus cereus noticeable difference between genera is that reservoir more significantly narrowed it leads into efferent duct, compared