Abstract
Nine compounds were detected in three different millipede species: Polydesmus complanatus (L.), Brachydesmus (Stylobrachydesmus) avalae Ćurčić & Makarov, and Brachydesmus (Stylobrachydesmus) dadayi Verhoeff. Benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, benzoylnitrile, benzyl methyl ketone, benzoic acid, benzyl ethyl ketone, mandelonitrile, and mandelonitrile benzoate were identified by GC-FID and GC-MS analyses. Hydrogen cyanide was detected qualitatively by the picric acid test. Benzyl ethyl ketone, benzyl methyl ketone, and benzyl alcohol were detected for the first time in polydesmidan millipedes. Benzoylnitrile was the major component in all three hexane extracts. These compounds are suspected to be active in the defensive secretions of these millipede species.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Steven Seybold (USA) and two anonymous reviewers, whose comments greatly improved the manuscript. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of Serbia (Grants Nos. 143053 and 142053).
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Supplemental Data Fig. 1
Identification of Compound 3. (a) EI MS spectrum of Compound 3 with proposed fragmentation, (b) EI MS spectrum of Compound 3 and library spectrum oriented from head to tail, (c) EI MS library spectrum from Wiley 07 NIST 05 database, with chemical structures. (GIF 69 kb)
Supplemental Data Fig. 2
Identification of Compound 7. (a) EI MS spectrum of Compound 7 with proposed fragmentation, (b) EI MS spectrum of Compound 7 and library spectrum oriented from head to tail, (c) EI MS library spectrum from Wiley 07 NIST 05 database, with chemical structures. (GIF 78 kb)
Supplemental Data Table 1
Chemical composition of the defensive secretions in three polydesmid millipede species analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS with data from the literature (DOC 55 kb)
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Makarov, S.E., Ćurčić, B.P.M., Tešević, V.V. et al. Defensive Secretions in Three Species of Polydesmids (Diplopoda, Polydesmida, Polydesmidae). J Chem Ecol 36, 978–982 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9847-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10886-010-9847-6