PLoS ONE· 2026Q1
Temporal shifts in insect cuticular hydrocarbons in response to experimental desiccation
- 0citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) rapidly alter their cuticle hydrocarbon (CHC) composition within hours of experimental desiccation, increasing short-chain and then long-chain, methyl-branched CHCs to reduce water loss.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) were exposed to desiccation for 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 hours.
- CHC composition shifted rapidly and in a time-dependent manner with increasing desiccation.
- Early desiccation (2h) saw an increase in short-chain CHCs, while longer exposure (4-10h) enriched long-chain, methyl-branched CHCs.
- Water loss patterns closely correlated with CHC compositional shifts, indicating a dynamic response.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Insects are vulnerable to desiccation as they are small and have a high surface area-to-volume ratios. Over 80% of their body water is lost through the cuticle, but insects possess specialised cells that synthesize cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to form a hydrophobic waxy barrier that reduces water loss. However, how rapidly CHCs are synthesized and transported across the cuticle under desiccating conditions remains poorly understood. To examine this, we exposed male Drosophila melanogaster to varying desiccation durations (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 h) and compared CHC profiles for each of these time-points to an experimental control (no desiccation: 0 h). We found a rapid, time-dependent shift in CHC composition, marked by an early increase in short-chain hydrocarbons followed by enrichment of longer chain, methyl-branched CHCs over longer periods of desiccation exposure. Cumulative water loss increased most sharply within the first 2 h of desiccation and then progressed more slowly from 2 to 8 h before rising again at 10 h. These changes were closely mirrored by temporal shifts in CHC composition, suggesting that CHCs are dynamic and respond rapidly to desiccation stress.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. PLoS ONE, 2026 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Insect Science
Insect ScienceAgricultural and Biological Sciences