Table Of ContentBiosynthesis in Insects
Biosynthesis in Insects
E. David Morgan
Chemical Ecology Group, Keele University, UK
RSeC
advancing the chemical sciences
ISBN 0-85404-691-7
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
0T he Royal Society of Chemistry 2004
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Preface
“It is from the behaviour of simple molecules that we learn our most
sign$cant lessons.
Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, 1913
This book arose out of a course of lectures I was invited to give to young
post-graduate students at Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Maceio,
Brazil in 1999. Students working on practical aspects of insect pest con-
trol through the use of natural pesticides, pheromones and hormones
need to know something about the origin of these substances in nature, if
they are to use their skills fully in their work. There is not much informa-
tion available to them in a clear and elementary form in the review litera-
ture or books, so I undertook to provide them with an introductory
guide to biosynthetic pathways, with special emphasis on insects. I have
subsequently expanded the notes prepared for them to make this small
book, with the hope that it will prove useful and informative not only to
them but to other students in science and technology, and perhaps attract
more of them to this interesting and growing area of chemical ecology.
Where biosynthetic processes differ between animals and plants or
micro-organisms, I have concentrated on animal systems, but I have not
confined myself strictly to the Insecta. The close interaction between
plants and insects makes it necessary at times to look at plant substances
and pathways, and I have, where important or interesting examples
present themselves from other areas, strayed to other arthropods, and
even man to complete the story.
Because this is intended as a didactic work for young students, I have
not used the apparatus of references as in a scholarly review. Experience
has shown me that faced with many references to research literature, they
may consult none of them. I have rather referred in the text to a few
especially useful or interesting papers, and added a list of further reading
at the end of each chapter. I have also included a few problems so that
readers can make a self-assessment of their grasp of what has been
discussed.
V
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to my friends Neil Oldham, John Brand, Ralph Howard,
Athula Attygalle, Graeme Jones and Desire Daloze for reading various
parts or drafts and giving me many helpful suggestions, and to Jane
Parker for giving me a student view on an early draft. The request for the
original lectures came from my former student Ruth do Nascimento, to
whom I am much indebted. I thank the British Council office in Recife,
and CNPQ for the financial support that enabled me to give the lectures,
and Professor Ant6nio Euzebio G. Sant’Ana for his hospitality. I am
very grateful to Dr John Shanklin of Brookhaven National Laboratory
and Dr Ed Cahoon of the Danforth Plant Sciences Center for kindly
providing the diagrams of castor oil desaturase, Prof John Mann and
Dr Rishuo Nishida for permission to use figures from their work. I am
obliged to Dr Jonathan Banks in Australia and Dr Keith S. Brown in
Brazil for helping me concerning the final position of aphinin research.
Those of us laboratory-bound do not get to see a great variety of
insects in their natural surroundings. I can happily thank various friends
for contributing their photographs of (biosynthetically) interesting
insects. Stefan0 Turillazzi, Universita di Firenze, for his picture of
Polistes wasps, Athulla Attygalle and Maria Eisner for Epilachnis pupae,
Steve McWilliam of rECOrd, Chester, for Coccinella septempunctata
adults and Jim Klaisch of the Department of Entomology, University of
Nebraska Lincoln for the C. septempunctata larva, Dr Mike Quinn,
-
Texas A&M University, Stephenville, for superb pictures of Hippodamia,
Oncopeltus and Danaus, Tom Larsen for Scolopendra, Jens Christian
Schou for Arctia caja, Warren E. Savary for Lytta magister, Markku
Savela for Harpaphe haydeniana, Dr Hamish Robertson of the South
African Museum for Ceroplastes, Dr Paul Choate, Department of
Entomology and Nematology, University of Florida for Manduca sexta
larva, Socikte Nouvelle des Editions Boubee for permission to reproduce
the photo of a female silk moth taken by Jacques Six, Anthony
Papadoupolos for the fire bug Pyrrhcorus apterus, the University of
Oklahoma Veterinary School for Amblyomma americanum, and our own
Terry Bolam for the Myrmica ant trail-following. The cover photo is one
vii
...
Vlll Acknowledgements
of the many beautiful insect photos taken by Ken Preston-Mafham of
Premaphotos Wildlife. I have tried to find the owner of the picture of the
cheese mite, Tyrophagus putrescentiae without success.
I have sought to locate owners of all reproduced material not in my
own possession. In a few cases I have been completely unsuccessful, but
trust I have not inadvertently infringed any copyrights. Should I have
done so I shall of course take appropriate action for any subsequent
editions. I would also welcome comments and suggestions on this book.
(e.d .m [email protected] eele.a c.u k)
Description:The chemical study of insects has been growing for four decades, and with it an interest in how insects make their pheromones, hormones, defensive secretions, venoms, pigments and surface coverings. By investigating the biosynthesis of insects, one can gain a greater insight into the structure and f
