SURFACE HYDROCARBON COMPONENTS OF 2 SPECIES OF NASUTITERMES FROM TRINIDAD

Colonies of Nasutitermes costalis (Holmgren) and N. ephratae (Holmgren) were collected from five locations in Trinidad. Cuticular hydrocarbons were characterized by gas chromatography-electron impact mass spectrometry and quantified by capillary gas chromatography. Sixteen major components were identified; all but one component (12, 16-dimethyltriacontane) were common to both species. The methyl-branched hydrocarbons were predominant in N. costalis, while the majority of the hydrocarbon components in N. ephratae were n-alkanes. One hydrocarbon (11,15-dimethylheptacosane) was found in abundance in samples of N. ephratae from Trinidad but was not previously reported from collections of this species in Panama. In addition to the morphology of the soldiers and alates and the architecture of the arboreal nests, N. costalis and N. ephratae from Trinidad can easily be separated by chromatograms of the hydrocarbons. N. costalis has an enormous 13,17-dimethylhentriacontane peak (mean = 42.4% of total hydrocarbon). In N. ephratae this peak is much smaller and the 12,16-dimethyltriacontane peak is completely missing. N. costalis from Trinidad and N. corniger from Panama appear to have cuticular hydrocarbon profiles that are more similar to one another than are those of N. ephratae from Trinidad and Panama. © 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation.