Discrimination of particular species within the species complexes of tephritid fruit flies is a very challenging task. In this fruit-fly family, several complexes of cryptic species have been reported, including the African cryptic species complex (FAR complex). Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) appear to be an excellent tool for chemotaxonomical discrimination of these cryptic species. In the present study, CHC profiles have been used to discriminate among three important agricultural pests from the FAR complex, Ceratitis fasciventris, Ceratitis anonae and Ceratitis rosa. Hexane body surface extracts of mature males and females were analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection and differences in CHC profiles between species and sexes tested through multivariate statistics and compared with species identification by means of microsatellite markers. Quantitative as well as qualitative CHC profile differences between sexes and species are reported. The CHC profiles consisted of a mixture of linear, internally methyl-branched and mono-, di- and tri-unsaturated alkanes. Twelve compounds were pinpointed as potential chemotaxonomical markers. The present study shows that presence or absence of particular CHCs might be used in the chemical diagnosis of the FAR complex. Moreover, our results represent an important first step in the development of a useful chemotaxonomic tool for cryptic species identification of these important agricultural pests.

Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology Federal University of Alagoas BR 104 Norte Km 14 57072 970 Maceió Alagoas Brazil

Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the ASCR Flemingovo nám 2 CZ 166 10 Prague 6 Czech Republic

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology PO Box 30772 00100 GPO Nairobi Kenya

Royal Museum for Central Africa Leuvensesteenweg 13 B 3080 Tervuren Belgium

References provided by Crossref.org

Tephritid Fruit Fly Semiochemicals: Current Knowledge and Future Perspectives

Epicuticular chemistry reinforces the new taxonomic classification of the Bactrocera dorsalis species complex (Diptera: Tephritidae, Dacinae)

Characterisation of the chemical profiles of Brazilian and Andean morphotypes belonging to the Anastrepha fraterculus complex (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Analyses of volatiles produced by the African fruit fly species complex (Diptera, Tephritidae)

Evaluating mating compatibility within fruit fly cryptic species complexes and the potential role of sex pheromones in pre-mating isolation

Cuticular hydrocarbons corroborate the distinction between lowland and highland Natal fruit fly (Tephritidae, Ceratitis rosa) populations

An integrative approach to unravel the Ceratitis FAR (Diptera, Tephritidae) cryptic species complex: a review