Wednesday, 20 November 2002
D0520

This presentation is part of : Display Presentations, Section B. Physiology, Biochemistry, Toxicology, and Molecular Biology

Lipid composition of overwintering alfalfa leafcutting bee prepupae

James S. Buckner, USDA ARS, Biosciences Research Laboratory, 1605 Albrecht Blvd, Fargo, ND and William P. Kemp, USDA ARS, Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory, 5310 Old Main Hill, Utah State University, Logan, UT.

Alfalfa leafcutting bees, Megachile rotundata (F.) overwinter as prepupae. The cuticular and internal lipids were extracted from prepupae that had been held at 4°C for eight months. Cuticular lipid components were separated, identified and quantitated by capillary gas chromatography (CGC) and CGC-mass spectrometry (MS). Ester derivatives of fatty acids from internal lipid components were analyzed by CGC-MS and intact components were analyzed by HPLC-MS. Cuticular lipids were composed of homologous series of hydrocarbons (n-alkanes, methyl-branched alkanes), long-chain aldehydes and alcohols, and wax esters. M. rotundata prepupae possessed large quantities of internal lipids that were extracted with CHCl3/methanol (2:1), and separated into neutral lipids and phospholipid classes by silica gel chromatography. The majority of the internal lipids were triacylglycerols with mainly unsaturated fatty acid components.

Species 1: Hymenoptera Megachilidae Megachile rotundata (alfalfa leafcutting bee)
Keywords: triacylglycerols, diapause

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