CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS OF TRIATOMA-INFESTANS AND T-MAZZOTTI

1. The cuticular hydrocarbons of Triatoma infestans and Triatoma mazzo tti were examined by capillary gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (C GC-MS). 2. Hydrocarbons from both insects contained complex mixtures o f n-alkanes, terminally and internally branched monomethylalkanes, dim ethylalkanes and trimethylalkanes. 3. T. mazzotti contained much large r amounts of methyl-branched alkanes of 33-41 carbons than did T. infe stans. 4. Squalene, a polyunsaturated isoprenoid hydrocarbon, was pres ent in significant amounts on the surface of T. infestans. 5. This is the first report of squalene present in the cuticular lipids of an ins ect.