Abstract
1. 1. The carotenoids of wild-type and of eight pigment mutants of the spider mite Tetranychus pacificus were investigated. 2. 2. Besides the plant pigments α-carotene, β-carotene, lutein, lutein-5,6-epoxide, violaxanthin and neoxanthin, wild-type T. pacificus was found to contain esterified 3-hydroxy-4-keto-β-carotene, 3-hydroxy-4,4't'-diketo-β-carotene and astaxanthin. 3. 3. In four mutants only unaltered plant pigments were found. Two other mutants showed an almost complete lack of astaxanthin. The two remaining mutants possessed the same hydroxy-keto-carotenoids as wild-type, but these were not or only partly esterified. 4. 4. From two-factor crosses between the different mutants, the double-mutant phenotypes were inferred. 5. 5. The possible nature of the pigment mutations is discussed with regard to the results of the pigment analyses and the genetic data.
Published Version
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