Table 1 Factors to convert SIM values to TIC values for selected wax esters arranged by increasing carbon number of the alcohol moiety1.

Wax ester carbon no. Alcohol-acid carbon no. Protonated acid ion Factor Standard deviation 30 14:0-16:0 257 5.47 0.14 32 14:0-18:0 285 4.70 0.12 30 16:0-14:0 229 6.57 0.21 32 16:0-16:0 257 5.25 0.15 34 16:0-18:0 285 4.41 0.07 34 18:0-16:0 257 5.05 0.11 36 18:0-18:0 285 4.34 0.10 36 18:0-18:1 264 11.73 0.17 38 20:0-18:1 264 11.59 0.25 40 20:0-20:0 313 4.40 0.08 42 20:0-22:0 341 5.44 0.11 44 20:0-24:0 369 5.24 0.06 40 22:0-18:0 285 4.02 0.08 42 22:0-20:0 313 4.29 0.10 44 22:0-22:0 341 5.34 0.06 42 24:0-18:0 285 3.87 0.05 44 24:0-20:0 313 4.13 0.10 48 24:0-24:0 369 5.02 0.15 44 26:0-18:0 285 3.81 0.07 46 28:0-18:0 285 3.71 0.08 54 30:0-24:0 369 4.74 0.09

1SIM = single ion monitor values for the protonated acid fragment of the saturated fatty acid moiety or of the ion due to the acyl moiety minus a hydrogen for the unsaturated fatty acid moiety. TIC = total ion current of the wax ester peak. The factor was calculated by dividing the TIC peak area by the SIM peak area. Values were the averages of GC-MS analyses at injected amounts of 25, 50, 75 and 100 nanograms.