Institut für Organische Chemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Hagenring 30, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
J Chem Ecol. 2013 Jan;39(1):1-14. doi: 10.1007/s10886-012-0231-6. Epub 2012 Dec 27.
Spiders use pheromones for sexual communication, as do other animals such as insects. Nevertheless, knowledge about their chemical structure, function, and biosynthesis is only now being unraveled. Many studies have shown the existence of spider pheromones, but the responsible compounds have been elucidated in only a few cases. This review focuses on a structural approach because we need to know the involved chemistry if we are to understand fully the function of a pheromonal communication system. Pheromones from members of the spider families Pholcidae, Araneidae, Linyphiidae, Agenelidae, and Ctenidae are currently being identified and will be discussed in this review. Some of these compounds belong to compound classes not known from other arthropod pheromones, such as citric acid derivatives or acylated amino acids, whereas others originate from more common fatty acid metabolism. Their putative biosynthesis, their function, and the identification methods used will be discussed. Furthermore, other semiochemicals and the chemistry of apolar surface lipids that potentially might be used by spiders for communication are described briefly.
蜘蛛与其他动物（如昆虫）一样，利用信息素来进行性通讯。然而，有关其化学结构、功能和生物合成的知识目前才刚刚被揭示。许多研究已经表明了蜘蛛信息素的存在，但在少数情况下才阐明了负责的化合物。这篇综述重点关注结构方法，因为如果我们要充分理解信息传递系统的功能，就需要了解所涉及的化学知识。目前正在鉴定来自蜘蛛科（Pholcidae）、Araneidae、Linyphiidae、Agenelidae 和 Ctenidae 的成员的信息素，并将在本综述中进行讨论。其中一些化合物属于其他节肢动物信息素中未知的化合物类别，如柠檬酸衍生物或酰化氨基酸，而另一些则源自更为常见的脂肪酸代谢。将讨论它们的推测生物合成、功能和使用的鉴定方法。此外，还简要描述了其他半化学物质和可能用于蜘蛛通讯的非极性表面脂质的化学性质。
