Larvae of Spodoptera littoralis and Galleria mellonella reared on standard laboratory food were used in experiments with metyrapone and azadirachtin. Metyrapone in S. littoralis caused high elevation of metabolic rate which resulted in a significant increase of body‐mass. This phenomenon was associated with precocious transformation to pupal stage. The same results were obtained after application of azadirachtin or neem oil. Restriction of reproduction was also observed in S. littoralis. Both these compounds influenced body pigmentation: the treated larvae was light green or light gray. Synthesis of melanin was inhibited. In Galleria mellonella, the effect was not as prominent.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.