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Thermal concomitants and biochemistry of the explosive discharge mechanism of some little known bombardier beetles

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Summary

The quinonoid defensive spray of 2 carabid beetles of the subfamilies Metriinae and Paussinae is ejected hot (55°C and 65°C), with a heat content of 0.19 and 0.17 cal/mg. Hydroquinone(s) and hydrogen peroxide are identified as precursors of the quinones, indicating that in these lesser known ‘bombardier beetles’ the explosive discharge mechanism is similar to that of the familiar bombardiers of the genusBrachinus (subfamily Carabinae, tribe Brachinini).

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Author notes

  1. T. H. Jones

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, U.S. Naval Academy, 21402, Annapolis, MD, USA

  2. D. Alsop

    Present address: Department of Biology, Queens College, 11367, Flushing, NY, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    D. J. Aneshansley, T. H. Jones, D. Alsop, J. Meinwald & T. Eisner

  2. Department of Chemistry, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    D. J. Aneshansley, T. H. Jones, D. Alsop & J. Meinwald

Authors
  1. D. J. Aneshansley
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  2. T. H. Jones
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  3. D. Alsop
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  4. J. Meinwald
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  5. T. Eisner
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Additional information

Paper No. 70 of the series: Defense Mechanisms of Arthropods.

Acknowledgments. Study supported in part by the NIH (grants AI-02908 and AI-12-20). We are indebted to John Doyen and the late Robert E. Silberglied for providing respectively theMetrius andGoniotropis.

To whom reprint requests should be addressed.

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Aneshansley, D.J., Jones, T.H., Alsop, D. et al. Thermal concomitants and biochemistry of the explosive discharge mechanism of some little known bombardier beetles. Experientia 39, 366–368 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01963125

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01963125

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