Cuticular hydrocarbons of Formica truncorum (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): Description of new very long chained hydrocarbon components

Abstract

Cuticular hydrocarbons of Formica japonica mainly consisted of pairs of n-alkanes and alkenes from C23 to C33, but those of F. truncorum consisted of alkadienes, alkenes, n-alkanes, and methyl alkanes from C25 to C48, with relative ratios of 0.3%, 8.2%, 28.4%, and 63.2%, respectively. Very long-chained hydrocarbons, larger than C34, accounted for 55.6% of the whole hydrocarbons. Such hydrocarbons were not previously found, presumably because of differences in analytical methods. Even after these very long-chained hydrocarbons were added to the analysis, the hydrocarbon profiles remained similar among colony members, but different enough between colonies to allow identification.