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Congruence of epicuticular hydrocarbons and tarsal secretions as a principle in beetles

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Abstract

Within beetles, those species that are adapted to life on plants have developed widened tarsi with specialised hairy attachment structures. The capability to adhere to smooth surfaces is based on a liquid film on the surface of these structures, the composition of which is similar to the cuticular lipids. By means of a cluster analysis based on chemical similarities between samples obtained from tarsi or elytra of 35 species using solid phase microextraction, the present study strongly suggests that this chemical congruence is a principle in beetles. This supports the idea of tarsal liquids being part of the cuticular lipid layer and contributes to the understanding of liquid-mediated attachment systems.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Stefan Lamm, Christan Hamm, Johannes Gowin and Christian Hanner for helping with the collection of data. Donation of beetles by Hannelore Baudendistel, Ulrike Füssel, Joseph K. Müller and Monika Hilker are greatly appreciated. We also are grateful for the help of Alois Herzig at the Biologische Station Illmitz, where some of the beetles were collected. Furthermore, Wolfgang Pankow and Christian Maus helped with the determination of some species and two anonymous reviewers provided comments on an earlier draft of the paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Biologie I, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg i.Br., Hauptstr. 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany

    Stefanie F. Geiselhardt & Klaus Peschke

  2. Institut für Biologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Haderslebener Str. 9, 12163, Berlin, Germany

    Sven Geiselhardt

Authors
  1. Stefanie F. Geiselhardt
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  2. Sven Geiselhardt
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  3. Klaus Peschke
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Correspondence to Stefanie F. Geiselhardt.

Electronic supplementary material

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49_2011_77_MOESM1_ESM.xls

Species used in the cluster analysis with chemical composition of SPME samples of elytra (E) and tarsi (T; mediane; % total peak area). Collection site is given at the bottom of the table (XLS 468 kb)

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Geiselhardt, S.F., Geiselhardt, S. & Peschke, K. Congruence of epicuticular hydrocarbons and tarsal secretions as a principle in beetles. Chemoecology 21, 181–186 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-011-0077-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00049-011-0077-3

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