Seven unsaturated hydrocarbons were isolated from the volatiles of two species of flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum and T. confusum, and identified as 1-pentadecene, 1-heptadecene, 1,8-heptadecadiene, 1-tetradecene, 1-hexadecene, 1,6-pentadecadiene and heptadecatriene by GLC, GLC-MS, NMR, IR and micro-ozonolysis. This is the first report of the presence of these compounds in red flour beetles, and the last four compounds are also reported for the first time in confused flour beetles. These compounds are strong repellents for the same species or each other. The roles of these compounds are discussed.

In the course of chemical investigation of Tribolium pheromones, we have isolated colorless crystals from red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum Herbst and confused flour beetles, T. confusum duVal.

Seven unsaturated hydrocarbons were isolated from the volatiles of two species of flour beetles, Tribo/ium castaneum and T. confusum, and identified as I-pentadecene, I-heptadecene, 1,8-heptadecadiene, I-tetradecene, I-hexadecene, 1, 6-pentadecadiene and heptadecatriene by GLC, GLC-MS, NMR, IR and micro-ozonolysis. This is the first report of the presence of these compounds in red flour beetles, and the last four compounds are also reported for the first time in confused flour beetles. These compounds are strong repellents for the same species or each other. The roles of these compounds are discussed.

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