Department of Chemistry, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081, USA.
J Chem Ecol. 2009 Nov;35(11):1302-8. doi: 10.1007/s10886-009-9712-7. Epub 2009 Nov 20.
Forked fungus beetles, Bolitotherus cornutus, feed, mate, and live on the brackets of several species of shelf fungus that grow on decaying logs. In response to the specific threat stimulus of mammalian breath, B. cornutus beetles produce a volatile defensive secretion. We tested beetles collected from different host fungi to determine whether defensive secretion blends varied with host type. Using solid phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, we detected large amounts of the alkylated benzoquinones, methyl-p-benzoquinone (toluquinone) and ethyl-p-benzoquinone, and smaller quantities of p-benzoquinone, 3-methylphenol (m-cresol), 3-ethylphenol, 2-methylhydroquinone, and 2-ethylhydroquinone in secretions. Volatile composition did not differ between male and female beetles. Secretions did differ between beetles collected from two species of fungus, Ganoderma applanatum and Fomes fomentarius, with the relative amount of p-benzoquinone secreted being the most important factor. Other relationships among the volatile components are discussed.
叉形菌甲，角突拟步甲，以生长在腐朽原木上的数种搁板菌的菌托为食、交配和生活。为了应对哺乳动物呼吸的特定威胁刺激，叉形菌甲甲虫会产生挥发性防御分泌物。我们对从不同宿主真菌中收集的甲虫进行了测试，以确定防御分泌物混合物是否随宿主类型而变化。使用固相微萃取和气相色谱-质谱法，我们在分泌物中检测到大量的烷基化苯醌、甲基-p-苯醌（甲苯醌）和乙基-p-苯醌，以及少量的苯醌、3-甲基苯酚（间甲酚）、3-乙基苯酚、2-甲基对苯二酚和 2-乙基对苯二酚。雄性和雌性甲虫的分泌物没有区别。从两种真菌，灰树花和木蹄层孔菌中收集的甲虫的分泌物有所不同，分泌的苯醌的相对量是最重要的因素。还讨论了挥发性成分之间的其他关系。
