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Pregnanes from defensive glands of a belostomatid bug
J Lokensgard1, R L Smith, T Eisner
1Department of Chemistry, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin 54911.
Experientia
|February 15, 1993
Abstract:
The aquatic bug Abedus herberti (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) secretes a mixture containing four pregnanes (desoxycorticosterone (I), pregnenolone (II), progesterone (III), and 3 alpha-hydroxy-pregn-5-en-20-one (IV)) from its cephalic glands. Pregnanes had previously been characterized from the defensive glands of aquatic beetles (Dytiscidae) and shown to be deterrent to fish. It may be specifically under predation pressure from fish that A. herberti and Dytiscidae evolved their comparable defenses.