Whole body @entity5068 metabolism in insects has seldom been studied. We were able to design an appropriate study at a butterfly farm in Belize. We collected six larvas of butterfly (Morpho peleides), their food (leaves of Pterocarpus bayessii), and their excretions. In addition, six adult butterflies were collected. The @entity3150 of the diet, the larva, and adult butterfly were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography. The structures of these @entity3150 were identified by @entity11040 precipitation, GC-MS, and NMR. Four @entity3150 ( @entity165 , @entity9543 , @entity15104 , and @entity9542 ) and a @entity5068 mixture were found in the food, the body, and the excreta of the larva. The tissue @entity5068 content of the larva was 326 microg. They consumed 276 microg of @entity3150 per day. Their excretion was 185 microg per day as @entity3150 . The total tissue @entity5068 contents of the larva and butterfly were similar, but they had different @entity5068 compositions, which indicated interconversion of @entity3150 during development. There was a progressive increase in the @entity165 content from larva to butterfly and a decrease in the content of @entity9542 and other plant @entity3150 , which were likely converted to @entity165 . Our data indicated an active @entity5068 metabolism in butterfly larva. Diet played an important role in determining its @entity5068 composition. During metamorphosis, there was an interconversion of @entity3150 . This is the first paper documenting the fecal @entity5068 excretion in insects as related to dietary intakes.

Effects of diet and metamorphosis upon the XXXX composition of the butterfly Morpho peleides.

@entity9542 :: ('MESH:C025473', 'Chemical') :: ['sitosterol'] @entity11040 :: ('MESH:D004072', 'Chemical') :: ['digitonin'] @entity3150 :: ('MESH:D013261', 'Chemical') :: ['sterols'] @entity5068 :: ('CHEBI:15889', 'Chemical') :: ['sterol'] @entity15104 :: ('MESH:D013265', 'Chemical') :: ['stigmasterol'] @entity165 :: ('MESH:D002784', 'Chemical') :: ['cholesterol'] @entity9543 :: ('MESH:C021273', 'Chemical') :: ['campesterol']
@entity5068 :: (CHEBI:15889,Chemical) :: ['sterol']
