Azamacrolides: a family of alkaloids from the pupal defensive secretion of a ladybird beetle (Epilachna varivestis).

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Defensive droplets from glandular hairs of the pupa of the Mexican bean beetle, Epilachna varivestis, contain a group of structurally novel alkaloids, the azamacrolides. The major constituent of this secretion, epilachnene, is shown to be (5Z)-11-propyl-12-azacyclotetradec-5-en-14-olide. The secretion also contains an epilachnadiene and trace amounts of three closely related components.