| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Year of Publication: | 2000 |
| Authors: | R. Deml, Huth A. |
| Journal: | Naturwissenschaften |
| Volume: | 87 |
| Pagination: | 80-82 |
| Abstract: | The defensive secretions of two tropical species of millipedes (the spirostreptid Telodeinopus aoutii and a species of Harpagophoridae) contain a complex mixture of closely related benzoquinones and hydroquinones. The major compounds are tolu- quinone and 2-methoxy-3-methylbenzoquinone, ac- companied by the minor components, 2,3-dimethoxy- benzoquinone and toluhydroquinone. Because of the large size and the geographic separation of the test animals a common defensive strategy of tropi- cal, large millipedes against predation by vertebrates is assumed. |