CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS OF AEDES-HENDERSONI COCKERELL AND A-TRISERIATUS (SAY) (DIPTERA, CULICIDAE)

Field-caught adult male and female Aedes hendersoni are difficult to d istinguish from the sibling species A. triseriatus. We found that mosq uitoes from the same sex of the sibling species can not be readily sep arated either by unique cuticular hydrocarbon components or by differe nces in percent composition of those components. Multivariate analysis of the cuticular hydrocarbon data does not provide good separation. C uticular hydrocarbons were identified using gas chromatography electro n-impact mass spectrometry and ps chromatography chemical-ionization m ass spectrometry. Flame-ionization capillary gas chromatography was us ed for quantitative analysis of individual mosquitoes. Sixty-four hydr ocarbons with chain lengths from C-16 to greater than C46 were common to both species. Identified hydrocarbon components were n-alkanes, mon omethylalkanes, dimethylalkanes, trimethylalkanes, and alkenes.