NATURAL WAXKS 3()7 



(c) Humble Bee Wax. Humble bee wax is produced by two species: 

 Bombus terrestris, which hves in carded moss, and B. lapidarius, which is 

 found in cavities among rocks. The quantity of wax produced by either 

 type of bee is exceedingly small, and it is obtained only with difficulty. It 

 contains an unusual C32 alcohol called psyllyl, while myricyl alcohol, and 

 palmitic and cerotic acids are absent. '^^^ The Finnish worker Sundwik**^ 

 also reported the presence of a C33 or C:{4 alcohol, melting at 69-70°C., and 

 probably corresponding to incarnatyl alcohol. 



Table 12 

 Api'RoxiiMATE Composition of Ghedda Wax" 



Constituent Formula M.p., °C. Per cent 



Alkyl esters 87 



Ceryl myristato CH.,(CH2)24CH20-OC(CH2)i2CH3 59 — 



Ceryl palmitate CH3(CH2)24CH20-OC(CH2)i4CH3 69 20 



Ceryl stearate CH3(CH2)24CH20-OC(CH2),6CH, 73 — 



Ceryl hydroxymargarate.. CH3(CH2)24CH20-OC(OH)Ci6H32 — 4 



Melissyl margarate CaiHesO-OCCCH-JioCH^ 79 — 



Free fatty acids 5 



Cerotic C25H51COOH 76-77 1 



Geddic C33H67COOH 95 2 



Margaric CH3(CH2)i5COOH 61.3 2 



Hj'drocarboiis 7 



Heptacosane CH3(CH2)23CH3 59-59 . 5 5 



Hentriacontane CH3(CH2)29CHs 68-68.5 1 



Tritriacontanc CH3(CH2)3iCH3 71 .8 1 



" Adapted from A. H. Warth, The Chemistry and Technology of Waxes, Reinhold, New 

 York, 1947, p. 53. 



(d) Waxes from the Coccidae. A number of insects of this family produce 

 wax, but only two of these waxes are of commercial importance. One 

 is Chinese insect wax, which is secreted by Coccus ceriferus, while the other 

 well-known member is stick-lac wax (or shellac wax in refined form), which 

 is produced bj'" Tachardia lacca. The wax secreted by the "coccids" is a 

 shell housing separated from the body. The character of the wax varies 

 somewhat with the host plant on which the insect feeds. In a sub-group, 

 Coccinae, the "scale" is merely the thickened surface of the insect. 



a'. Chinese Insect Wax: This wax is produced chiefly by the scale in- 

 sect {Coccus ceriferus Fabr.). This insect infests the twigs of the Chinese 

 ash {Fraxinus chinensis Roxburgh), and becomes imbedded in the waxy 

 material. This is scraped off the branches along with the insects, and is 

 freed from them by melting and straining. Warth ^ has reported the 

 average composition of Chinese insect wax as follows: 



"2 E. E. Sundwik, Z. physiol. Chem., 26, 5G-59 (1898); 53, 365-369 (1907); 72, 455-458 

 (1911). 



