Composition of Wax Made by the Australian Stingless Bee Trigona australis

Abstract

Analysis of the nest material of T. australis by gas chromatography/chemical ionization-mass spectrometry showed the wax to comprise a hydrocarbon fraction (90%), esters (6%) and free acids . (4%). The major saturated hydrocarbons were C27, C31 and C33 with C2S and C29 being less abundant and C23 and C 3S being present in small amounts. Traces of the intermediate, even-numbered homologues were also found. Hydrocarbons (C31o C 33 and C 3S) which contained one double bond were also present and traces of the diene C3S were detected. The ester fraction did not contain compounds identical with those in beeswax made by the honeybee Apis melli/era and the acid fractions were also quite different. T. australis wax contained the following, saturated free acids: CIO (trace), C12, C14, C16, CIS and C20, monoenoic and dienoic CIS and C 20 and traces of the trienoic CIS. The wax of T. australis is colourless but the brown colour of the nest material derives from the inclusion of masses of pollen (Eucalyptus sp.) and solid material from the inside of the nest tree. The solid residue comprised between 12 and 30% by weight.