Cuticular hydrocarbon profiles in plump bush crickets vary according to species, sex and mating status.

ABSTRACT: Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) serve critical roles in insect communication and desiccation resistance and are increasingly recognized as valuable taxonomic characters. This study investigates inter- and intraspecific variation in CHC profiles across ten Isophya species representing three distinct species groups (zernovi, rectipennis, and staneki), focusing on how these profiles vary by species identity, sex, and mating status. A total of 829 individuals (411 females, 418 males) were sampled and analyzed via GC-MS to quantify CHC composition. Multivariate analyses revealed strong effects of species and sex, as well as significant species × sex × mating status interactions. In both males and females, species in the zernovi group displayed tightly clustered CHC profiles, whereas members of th

SUBMITTER: Sevgili H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12475074 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature