ASCORBIC ACID AND UNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN NUTRITION OF EGYPTIAN COTTON LEAFWORM PRODENIA LITURA

Two semi-synthetic diets for larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Prodenia litura F. have been compounded. Dietary absence of vitamin C hampered growth and caused precocious larval mortality, whereas addition of l-ascorbic acid to the food (optimal level = 0·5 per cent) enabled development of normal moths. d-Araboascorbic acid could not be substituted for l-ascorbic acid. d-Glucurono-γ-lactone and l-gulono-γ-lactone do not seem to be precursors of ascorbic acid in this insect. Omission of wheat germ oil from the diet resulted in slow growth and development of moths with crippled and scaleless wings; administration of linoleic and linolenic acid largely compensated for lack of the oil. © 1969.