Identification of unique highly hetero-substituted benzenes as chemical weapons of springtails by a combination of trace analytical methods with DFT calculations and synthesis.

ABSTRACT: Springtails (Collembola) are important members of the soil mesofauna. They are small, often less than 1-2 mm in length. A typical escape response of most surface-living species is to jump, using their furca. However, some species also use chemical defence against predators. While the defence chemistry of higher insects has been well studied, reports from the basal Collembola are rare, linked to the difficulties in obtaining enough biomass. We herein report on the identification and repellent activity of compounds detected in Ceratophysella denticulata. Extracts with various solvents obtained from only 50 individuals were sufficient for analysis by GC/MS, GC/HR-MS, and GC/IR. The large number of candidate structures of the major components were then prioritised by DFT calculations of

SUBMITTER: Mollerke A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11376146 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature