USE OF CUTICULAR LIPIDS IN GRASSHOPPER TAXONOMY - A STUDY OF VARIATION IN SCHISTOCERCA SHOSHONE (THOMAS)

Cuticular lipids of adult Schistocerca shoshone from six different localities in the southwestern United states were analyzed. All the insects had the same hydrocarbons, but their relative abundance varied between populations and, within a locality, remained more or less constant over time. There were some statistically significant differences in the abundance of some compounds in relation to sex and maturity, but the differences were generally small and of doubtful biological significance. Food type had only minor effects on the relative frequencies of compounds, and insects from different populations retained their identities even when reared together in the laboratory. The cuticular lipids of insects from a population living in an area with high summer temperatures included higher proportions of n-alkanes than those of insects from a less extreme environment. If cuticular hydrocarbons are to be used in taxonomic studies of grasshoppers, it is important to examine specimens from a variety of populations and habitats.