TAXONOMIC STUDIES ON TWO TEPHRITID SPECIES (ORDER: DIPTERA), BACTROCERA OLEAE AND B. ZONATA, USING THE CUTICULAR HYDROCARBONS PROFILE

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al–Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The outer surface of insects (cuticle) is sheltered by a complex mixture of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) play an important role in avoiding desiccation and defend the insects against diseases infestation. Identification and chemical analyses of insect cuticular hydrocarbons are vital practice toward insect control. The obtained results indicated the two studied species obviously differ in CHCs components (35 and 29 components characterized B. oleae and B. zonata respectively) and shared twelve components. All these components can be used (quantitatively and qualitatively) to identify and taxonomically separate them.The objective of this paper is to evaluate the using of cuticular hydrocarbons as taxonomic tools in two dipteran species, Bactrocera oleae and B. zonata.

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