Chemical Composition of Ground Pearl (Eurhizococcus colombianus) Cysts

Ground pearl (Eurhizococcus colombianus) is a crop pest in Colombia, withspecial impact on fig, grass, rubus and tomato plants. The insect is resistant to externalinsecticide application because it produces a thick waxy shell that isolates it from theenvironment. The composition of this shell was determined by NMR and MS as atriglyceride, whose fatty acid is transformed into other products with the metamorphosis ofthe insect. Additionally, several enzymatic inhibitors were assayed to control the insectwith negative results.