Summary
A novel cyanogenetic compound, benzoyl cyanide, was isolated from the defensive secretion of 3 polydesmoid millipeds (Pseudopolydesmus serratus, Apheloria corrugata and A. trimaculata). The secretion of the 3 species also contains mandelonitrile and benzaldehyde, and that of P. serratus contains mandelonitrile benzoate, benzoic acid, isovaleric acid, myristic acid and stearic acid.
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Paper No. 52 of the series Defense Mechanisms of Arthropods.
The study was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (grants AI-12020 and AI-02908 and Fellowship 1-F-32-CA05139 to T. H. J.) and the National Science Foundation (grant BMS 75-15084).
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Conner, W.E., Jones, T.H., Eisner, T. et al. Benzoyl cyanide in the defensive secretion of polydesmoid millipeds. Experientia 33, 206–207 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02124069
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02124069