LIPIDS OF QUEEN OF ORIENTAL HORNET VESPA ORIENTALIS

Lipids extracted from the queens of the Oriental hornet were separated by chromatography on Florisil columns and identified using gas chromatography, thin-layer chromatography, i.r. and u.v. spectrophotometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectrometry. The acids present both in free form (FFA) and as esters were lauric, myristic, palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acid, oleic acid being the principal component. Q8-Q10 ubiquinones were found. The sterols identified were cholesterol, campesterol, 24-methylenecholesterol, and β-sitosterol, cholesterol being the principal sterol. A series of hydrocarbons, both even- and odd-numbered and ranging from C18 to C32, was found. The fatty acids comprise 74 per cent of the lipid fraction, the sterols-0·7 per cent, the ubiquinones-0·2 per cent and the hydrocarbons-12 per cent. © 1969.