Alkanes from surface lipids of sunflower stem weevil,Cylindrocopturus adspersus (LeConte)

The stem weevil,Cylindrocopturus adspersus (LeConte) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) yields 3% of its body weight as extractable lipids (40 μg/ weevil). The alkane fraction was composed ofn-alkanes (38%) and branched alkanes (62%). The compounds were characterized by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The chromatogram contained several single-component peaks (9 of 25). Only seven dimethylalkanes were isolated (17.8%): 9,19- and 9,21-dimethylheptacosane; 9,19- and 9,21-dimethylnonacosane; 9,21- and 11,21-dimethylhentriacontane; and 11,21-dimethyltritriacontane. Important methylalkanes were: 2-methyltetra- and hexacosanes and 10-methylhexa- and octacosanes. Late-eluting gas chromatography peaks were composed of simple alkane mixtures or a single component.