Beetle Yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor

Epoxide rings of alkene and arene compounds are hydrated to form trans-diols. The enzymes that catalyze the addition of a molecule of water to an epoxide ring to yield diols are called epoxide hydrolases (also known as epoxide hydrases). Epoxide hydrolase activity has been detected in numerous species of insects. Enzymatic epoxide hydration of certain cyclodiene insecticides and their analogs has been demonstrated in the housefly, blowfly (Calliphora erythrocephala), yellow mealworm (Tenebrio molitor), Madagascar cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), southern army worm (Spodoptera eridania), and red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum). Epoxide hydrolase is also important in the metabolism of juvenile... 

Attractive Compounds. The female-produced sex pheromone of the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor, is (R)-4-methyl- 1-nonanol [316] 163 (Scheme 18). Careful investigations on the biosynthesis of this compound [317] revealed that it is produced through a modification of normal fatty acid biosynthesis (Fig. 1, Fig. 2) propanoate serves as the starter, while formal chain elongation with acetate, propanoate, and acetate (accompanied by removal of the oxygens) produces 4-methylnonanoate which yields the pheromone alcohol after reduction. The structures and role of proteins that are present in the hemolymph or secreted by the tubular accessory glands of T. molitor, and that may carry lipophilic chemical messengers (like pheromones) are under investigation [318,319]. 

The sex pheromone emitted by the female yellow mealworm beetles, Tenebrio molitor L. (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae), 4-methyl-1-nonanal is well known. However, it was observed that males emit a pheromone that attracts females, which was identified as (Z )-3-dodecenyl acetate. 

Bacala R. (2000) In vitro studies of sex pheromone biosynthesis in the yellow mealworm beetle, Tenebrio molitor (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae). MSc thesis. Univ. of Manitoba, 133 pp. 

Griffith O., Vakili R., Currie R. W. and Vanderwel D. (2003) Effects of mating on the sex pheromone of female yellow mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor L.). J. Chem. Ecol. In preparation. 

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