Composition of the saturated hydrocarbons from males, females, and eggs of the millipede, Graphidostreptus tumuliporus

Abstract

The total hydrocarbons of the millipede Graphidostreptus tumuliporus contain 10 per cent saturated components. The composition of the saturated hydrocarbons from males, females, and eggs is reported.

Straight-chain alkanes (n-C15–n-C36) constitute 59 to 75 per cent of the saturated hydrocarbons with a strong predominance of odd chain over even chain homologues. Several types of branched-chain alkanes are also present: 2-methyl (iso), 3-methyl (anteiso), and at least one other type of branching.

In males and females the most abundant n-alkane is nonacosane (n-C29) (21·67 and 32·10 per cent, respectively), whereas in eggs heptacosane (n-C27) predominates (9·90 per cent). The composition of the n-alkanes in males and females resembles the values obtained for plant hydrocarbons, indicating that part of the saturated hydrocarbons is probably derived from the food. The low content of n-C29 in the eggs (7·70 per cent) may indicate that the hydrocarbons of the ingested food are not deposited into the egg lipid in equal amounts.