Mayolenes: labile defensive lipids from the glandular hairs of a caterpillar (Pieris rapae).
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 11997469.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 124487.
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Abstract
Larvae of the European cabbage butterfly, Pieris rapae (Pieridae), are beset with glandular hairs, bearing droplets of a clear oily secretion at their tip. The fluid consists primarily of a series of chemically labile, unsaturated lipids, the mayolenes, which are derived from 11-hydroxylinolenic acid. In bioassays with the ant Crematogaster lineolata, the secretion was shown to be potently deterrent, indicating that the fluid plays a defensive role in nature.
Medical subject headings
- Ants
- Butterflies
- Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
- Insect Repellents
- Pest Control, Biological