Hydrocarbon constituents of the Argentine ant, Iridomyrmex humilis

Abstract

The 26 hydrocarbons identified from Iridomyrmex humilis comprise 0.24% of the body weight of the insect. They include the normal alkanes, C₁₄ to C₂₇, and a number of alkenes and 3- and 5-monomethylalkanes in the range C₁₄ to C₂₀. The presence of 4-methylhexadecane is noted. Two of the constituents, heptadecane and (Z)-nonadec-9-ene, comprise 80% of the total.