Abstract
The defense secretions of five species of MalaysianNasutitermes,N. longinasus, N. matangensis, N, havilandi, N. johoricus, andNasutitermes species 01, are compared.N. longinasus andN. species 01 provide trinervitene alcohols,N. havilandi mainly tricyclic trinervitene and tetracyclic kempane alcohols and acetates, whereasN. matangensis furnish acetyl/propionyl derivatives of trinervita-11(12),15(17)-dien-3α,9β,13α-triol (XXI and XXII). A new diterpene, assigned as trinervita-11(12),15(17)-dien-3α,13α-diol-3,13-O-diacetate (XVII), is isolated fromN. havilandi. The mono- and diterpenoid compositions, being species-specific, are useful for chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic studies.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baker, R., andWalmsley, S. 1982. Soldier defense secretions of the South American termitesCortaritermes silvestri, Nasutitermes sp. N. D. andNasutitermes kemneri.Tetrahedron 38:1899–1910.
Braekman, J.C., Daloze, D., Dupont, A., Pasteels, J., Tursch, B., Declercq, J.P., Germain, G., andMeerssche, M.V. 1980. Secotrinervitane, a novel bicyclic diterpene skeleton from a termite soldier.Tetrahedron Lett. 21:2761–2762.
Braekman, J.C., Daloze, D., Dupont, A., Pasteels, J.M., Lefeuve, P., Bordereau, C., Declercq, J.P. andMeerssche, M.V. 1983. Chemical composition of the frontal gland secretion from soldiers ofNasutitermes lujue.Tetrahedron 39:4237–4241.
Braekman, J.C., Daloze, D., Dupont, A., Pasteels, J.M., andOttinger, R. 1984. New trinervitane diterpenes from Neo-GuineanNasutitermes sp.Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg. 93:291–297.
Chuah, C.H., Goh, S.H., Tho, Y.P., andPrestwich, G.D. 1983. Soldier defense secretions of the Malaysian termiteHospitalitermes umbrinus (Isoptera, Nasutitermitinae).J. Chem. Ecol. 9:347–356.
Chuah, C.H., Goh, S.H., andTho, Y.P. 1986. Soldier defense secretions of the genusHospitalitermes in peninsular Malaysia.J. Chem. Ecol. 12:701–712
Dupont, A., Braekman, J.C., Daloze, D., Pasteels, J.M., andTursch, B. 1981. Chemical composition of the frontal gland secretions from Neo-Guinean nasute termite soldiers.Bull. Soc. Chim. Belg. 90:485–499.
Goh, S.H., Tong, S.L., andTho, Y.P. 1982. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of termite defense secretion in the subfamily Nasutitermitinae.Mikrochim. Acta 1:219–229.
Goh, S.H., Chuah, C.H., Tho, Y.P., andPrestwich, G.D. 1984. Extreme intraspecific chemical variability in soldier defense secretions of allopatric and sympatric colonies ofLongipeditermes longipes.J. Chem. Ecol. 10:929–944.
Gush, T.J., Bentley, B.L., Prestwich, G.D., andThorne, B.L. 1985. Chemical variation in the defensive secretions of four species ofNasutitermes.Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 13:329–336.
Prestwich, G.D. 1979a. Chemical defense by termite soldiers.J. Chem. Ecol. 5:459–480.
Prestwich, G.D. 1979b. Interspecific variation in the defense secretions ofNasutitermes soldiers.Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 7:211–221.
Prestwich, G.D. 1983. Chemical systematics of termite exocrine secretions.Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 14:287–311.
Prestwich, G.D., andCollins, M.S. 1981a. Chemotaxonomy ofSubulitermes andNasutitermes termite soldier defense secretions. Evidence against the hypothesis of diphyletic evolution of the Nasutitermitinae.Biochem. Syst. Ecol. 9:83–88.
Prestwich, G.D., Goh, S.H., andTho, Y.P. 1981b. Termite soldier chemotaxonomy. A new diterpene from the Malaysian nasute termiteBulbitermes singaporensis.Experientia 37:11–12.
Prestwich, G.D., Spaton, S.G., Goh, S.H., andTho, Y.P. 1981c. New tricyclic diterpene propionate esters from a termite soldier defense secretion.Tetrahedron Lett. 22:1563–1566.
Tho, Y.P. 1982. Studies on the Taxonomy and Biology of Termites in Peninsular Malaysia. PhD thesis. Aberdeen University, Scotland.
Valterova, I., Vasickova, S., Budesinsky, M., andVrkoc, J. 1986. Constituents of frontal gland secretion of Peruvian termitesNasutitermes ephratae.Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 51:2884–2895.
Vrkoc, J., Budesinsky, M., andSedmera, P. 1978a. Structure of trinervitane diterpenoids fromNasutitermes rippertii (Rambur).Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 43:1125–1133.
Vrkoc, J., Budesinsky, M., andSedmera, P. 1978b. Structure of 2α,3α-dihydroxy- and 2α,3β- dihydroxy-1(15),8(19)-trinervitadienes fromNasutitermes costalis (Holmgren).Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 43:2478–2485.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chuah, C.H., Goh, S.H. & Tho, Y.P. Interspecific variation in defense secretions of malaysian termites from the genusNasutitermes (Isoptera, nasutitermitinae). J Chem Ecol 15, 549–563 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01014700
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01014700