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The composition of beeswax and other waxes secreted by insects
Author(s) -
Tulloch A. P.
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
lipids
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.601
H-Index - 120
eISSN - 1558-9307
pISSN - 0024-4201
DOI - 10.1007/bf02532476
Subject(s) - wax , beeswax , scale insect , composition (language) , lanolin , chromatography , chemistry , organic chemistry , biology , botany , linguistics , philosophy , hemiptera
This review deals, with waxes of members of two quite different groups of insects, the bees and the scale insects, which secrete large amounts of wax. The former use was as a structural material and the latter as a protective material. The compositions of waxes from some of these insects are described and particular attention is paid to the compositions of the unhydrolyzed waxes and to the presence of hydroxy acids. New analyses of beeswax and of wax of a species of bumble bee are reported. The structures of the diesters, hydroxyesters and diols of beeswax are elucidated. The bumble bee wax contains major proportions of saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons, and of long chain saturated, mono‐ and diunsaturated esters. The relationship between structure and function of the waxes is discussed.