Abstract
The functional role and commercial importance of insect pigments have been studied for well over a century. They are classified into those synthesized by insects, which include anthraquinones, aphins, pterins, tetrapyrroles, ommochromes, melanins and papiliochromes, and those sequestered from their host plants, the antioxidative carotenoids and water-soluble flavonoids. They can also be categorized into those that are produced by cyclization of linear precursors, e.g. anthraquinones, aphins and tetrapyrroles and those derived from cyclic precursors such as pterins, ommochromes, melanins and anthocyanins. Anthraquinones and aphins are derived by cyclization of linear polyketides via successive condensation of simple carboxylic acid metabolites and occur in two major Superfamilies of Hemiptera, the Coccoidea and Aphidoidae, respectively. Ommochromes, tetrapyrroles and melanins are derived from different amino acid precursors, tryptophan, glycine and tyrosine, respectively. Apart from providing body colouration, ommochromes are visual pigments, melanins act as a protectant against UV and tetrapyrroles facilitate oxygen transport to cells. Papiliochromes are synthesized using both, the essential amino acids tyrosine and tryptophan. Pterins are derived from guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and are also present in ommatidia of eyes. The sequestered pigments, anthocyanins and carotenoids, are synthesized from phenylalanine and by condensation of two isoprene units, respectively, in plants. The biosyntheses of chemochromes in insects are governed by a complex set of enzymes, pathways and genetics. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecules that are not only responsible for the striking colours but also provide functional benefits for insects. The commercially important pigments are also discussed.
Highlights
Insects are considered to be the most successful arthropods and the largest group of animals, with over 800,000 identified species
This review aims to provide more information on the chemistry of diverse pigment molecules synthesized or sequestered by insects and the mode of their biogenesis, which includes the diverse ecological and physiological roles of pigments, such as camouflage, mimicry, warning colouration, mate selection, etc., that provide functional benefits for the insects producing them
Insects can be amazingly colourful, displaying exquisitely fine colour patterns and this has led to many interesting studies including the examination of few fossil insects, which have retained their culticular metallic colour, to determine whether the original colour was preserved (Stankiewicz et al, 1997; Parker & McKenzie, 2003; McNamara et al, 2011a, b)
Summary
Insects are considered to be the most successful arthropods and the largest group of animals, with over 800,000 identified species. Lepidoptera have not specialized in a specific pigment molecule, such as pterins, ommochromes, papiliochromes, tetrapyrroles, melanins, carotenoids or anthocyanins, but the different butterfly families are specific in the pigment molecule they synthesize, papiliochromes in Papilionidae, pterins in Pieridae and ommochromes in Nymphalidae. A pigment can perform various biological functions depending upon the ecological factors, for example, anthocyanins help in mate selection in the butterfly, Polyommatus icarus (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) but in combination with melanin act as a warning colouration in Parasemia plantaginis (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae) larvae (Lindstedt et al, 2010). This review aims to provide more information on the chemistry of diverse pigment molecules synthesized or sequestered by insects and the mode of their biogenesis, which includes the diverse ecological and physiological roles of pigments, such as camouflage, mimicry, warning colouration, mate selection, etc., that provide functional benefits for the insects producing them
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