Chemical analysis of Brasilimeria Stach, 1949 (Hexapoda, Collembola, Neanuridae) hemolymphatic secretion, and description of a new species

Abstract

Though Collembola is a widespread hexapod its use of chemical compounds for defense has been reported for only a few European species. Chemical composition analyses of the hemolymphatic secretion of Neotropical Collembola using Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) has been performed for the first time. The GC-MS analysis revealed 32 constituents, such as aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, esters, alcohols, a phenol, an aldehyde and a ketone. Benzyl benzoate, the main component (at 46.98%), is a compound with known acaricide and insecticide properties. This is the first report on chemical constituents produced by Neotropical Pseudachorutinae, genus Brasilimeria , and will permit future secretion comparisons for Collembola. The taxonomic description of the species producing the secretion analyzed is provided; Brasilimeria assu sp. nov. (Collembola, Neanuridae, Pseudachorutinae) is the third known species of the genus; an updated diagnosis of the genus, an identification key, and further remarks on the species Brasilimeria Stach, 1949 are provided.

New Lobellini (Collembola: Neanuridae) from Queensland contribute to understanding distribution and ecology of Australian fauna

“…Alternatively, the colour may act as a warning to predators as poduroid taxa are distasteful and repel predators such as Formicidae, Coleoptera, Araneae and Acarina (Brown 1950; Messer et al 2000). Only poduroid forms seem to possess these distasteful compounds that include phenols and benzene derivatives (Zeppelini et al 2019). By way of contrast, they do not contain the respiratory compound haemocyanin, neither do Symphypleona, but many of latter possess tracheae (Flachsbarth et al 2017), while many, but not all, species of Entomobryidae, Tomoceridae and Isotomidae, more epigaeic taxa, do possess haemocyanin.…”