OCCURRENCE OF BIOPTERIN IN THE WINGS OF MORPHO BUTTERFLIES

A blue fluorescent compound was isolated from Morpho butterfly wings. Based on thin layer chromatographic, UV and CD-spectrophotometric and HPLC analyses, the blue fluorescent compound was identified as L-eryth ro biopterin. Biopterin is a major component of blue fluorescent pteri dines in both M. sulkowskyi and M. adonis. Pterin and isoxanthopterin can also be detected as minor components in these species. This paper is the first to report the presence of biopterin in butterfly wings.