HYDROCARBON PROFILES FROM PUPARIA OF DIAPAUSING AND NONDIAPAUSING FLESH FLIES (SARCOPHAGA-CRASSIPALPIS) REFLECT QUANTITATIVE RATHER THAN QUALITATIVE DIFFERENCES

Hydrocarbons on the puparia of flesh flies, Sarcophaga crassipalpis, w ere analyzed to determine whether the abundance of hydrocarbons on pup aria from diapausing individuals (twice the amount extracted from pupa ria of nondiapausing individuals) was the consequence of an increase i n deposition of select hydrocarbons or an overall increase in depositi on. Hydrocarbons from the puparia of both diapausing and nondiapausing individuals are saturated and range in chain length from 25 to 33 car bons. GC-MS analyses indicate that the hydrocarbon fraction contains n -, terminally and internally branched monomethyl-, and 3,x-, 5,x- and internally branched dimethylalkanes. The diapausing and nondiapausing empty puparia contained 39.4 and 42.9% n-alkanes, 46.5 and 44.7% monom ethylalkanes, and 9.5 and 8.5% dimethylalkanes, respectively. No major differences in the percent composition of the different hydrocarbons were noted between the two groups. This suggests that the amount of hy drocarbon, rather than the composition, contributes to the lower trans piration rates observed in diapausing pupae. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.