Hydrocarbon for Identification and Phenetic Comparisons: Cockroaches, Honey Bees, and Tsetse Flies

The hydrocarbon components of Asian and German cockroaches showed consistent differences by gas chromatography (GC) that did not depend on geographic origin, sex or age, and that did reliably identify individuals of these otherwise morphologically similar species. European honey bee workers and drones showed consistent GC patterns. Race-specific similarities in GC patterns were present in Africanized workers and drones from Central and South America. Principal components analysis separated data from different races. Comb waxes reflected the genetic ancestry of the workers that produced that wax. GC data was used to construct phenetic comparisons of 26 species and subspecies of tsetse flies using dried museum and fresh specimens. RESUMEN Cuando se us6 la cromatografia de gas (CG), los componentes de hidrocarb6n de las cucarachas Asiaticas y Alemanas demostraron consistentemente diferencias que no dependian de origen geografico, sexo o edad, y que con seguridad identificaban a individuos de esas especies que son ademas morfolbgicamente identicas. Obreras y drones de la abeja Europea consistentemente demostraron patrones por CG. Similaridades en patrones por CG especificos de las razas, estuvieron presente en obreras Africanizadas y drones de Centro y Sur America. Analisis de componentes principales separb datos de diferentes razas. Cera del panal reflej6 el antecedente genetico de las obreras que producieron esa cera. Se usaron datos del CG para construir comparaciones feneticas de 26 especies y subespecies de moscas tsetse usando muestras secas y frescas obtenidas del museo. There are often life forms difficult to identify in the comparison of insects species that are reproductively isolated, but closely related, or of subspecies, of sibling or incipient species, or even of races and morphs. The following is a description of the use of readily obtained hydrocarbon compounds from the cuticle of closely related insects as markers for insect taxa (genera and species) and populations (races), with an excursion into systematics. It appears that synthesis of these materials is often genetically determined, and is not affected by geographic origin or host of the specimens. Thus, it is hypothesized that the hydrocarbons may reliably identify individuals of otherwise morphologically similar species. Insects possess cuticular compounds of many chemical classes for waterproofing purposes, and most of the external materials may be removed by a brief rinse of a fresh or dried specimen in a nonpolar solvent such as hexane. After isolation of the hydrocarbons, gas chromatography (GC) is employed for rapid quantitative and qualitative analysis of the hydrocarbons. The specimen is retrieved undamaged. 333 The Florida Entomologist, Vol. 71, No. 3 (Sep., 1988), pp. 333-345 Published by Florida Entomological Society