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Cuticular Hydrocarbons: A New Tool in Forensic Entomology?

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Current Concepts in Forensic Entomology

Abstract

The cuticle of all insects is covered with a very thin epicuticular layer of wax. This layer consists of free lipids, a class of compounds that includes hydrocarbons, alcohols, fatty acids, waxes, acylglycerides, phospholipids and glycolipids (Gibbs and Crockett 1998), although the presence of the last three groups may reflect aggressive extraction techniques which remove both internal as well as external lipids. This waxy layer prevents desiccation and penetration of micro-organisms (Gullan and Cranston 1994) as well as encoding various chemical signals. In the majority of the insects, and nearly all social insects so far studied, the free lipids are dominated by hydrocarbons (Lockey 1988). Cuticular hydrocarbons are found in all life stages of insects and are biologically very stable. Their biosynthesis is genetically based and modulated by factors such as reproductive status (Monnin 2006), developmental stage (Martin et al. 2001), diet (Buczkowski et al. 2005) or temperature (Toolson 1982; Savarit and Ferveur 2002; Rouault et al. 2004). The link found between diet and hydrocarbon production in social insects by Liang and Silverman (2000, 2001) is disputable, since behavioural changes occur in <2 min suggesting direct hydrocarbon transfer via contact with the prey rather than via diet, which explains why the host acquires the entire cuticular hydrocarbon profile of the prey (Liang and Silverman 2000).

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Acknowledgements

The author thanks Dr S. Martin and Prof. E.D. Morgan for their help during the preparation of the manuscript.

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  1. School of Physical and Geographical Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom

    Falko P. Drijfhout

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  1. Falko P. Drijfhout
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. FB 16 Medizin, Universitätsklinikum Frankfurt, Kennedyallee 104, Frankfurt, 60596, Germany

    Jens Amendt

  2. Forensic Science Program, Chaminade University of Honolulu, Waialae Ave. 3140, Honolulu, 96816-1578, U.S.A.

    M.Lee Goff

  3. Dipto. Scienze per la Salute, Università Molise, Via De Sanctis, Campobasso, 86100, Italy

    Carlo P. Campobasso

  4. Pathologisch-Bakteriologisches Institut, Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Juchgasse 25, Wien, 1030, Austria

    Martin Grassberger

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Drijfhout, F.P. (2009). Cuticular Hydrocarbons: A New Tool in Forensic Entomology?. In: Amendt, J., Goff, M., Campobasso, C., Grassberger, M. (eds) Current Concepts in Forensic Entomology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9684-6_10

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