ANALYSIS OF THE EXCRETA DURING VARIOUS STAGES OF LARVAL DEVELOPMENT OF TRABALA VISHNOU LEF (INSECTA LEPIDOPTERA)

SUMMARY Qualitative and quantitative changes in free amino acids (FAA) and total carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in the excreta of successive larval instars of Trabala vishnou Lef. (Insecta Lepidoptera) have been studied. Only four FAA—aspartic acid, γ-aminobutyric acid, leucines and serine/glycine—were common in the excreta of all the larval instars. Seventeen FAA were present in the excreta of instar I. Glutamine, lysine, proline, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine and valine disappeared from the excreta of instars II-V. The total FAA content and other constituents present in the excreta decreased during larval growth. Individually, most of the FAA followed this broad pattern of quantitative change. However, the leucines present in the excreta generally increased. Changes in these constituents have been related to various physiological events during larval growth.