YELLOW MARKING AND PTERIDINE CONTENTS IN THE INTEGUMENT OF ALBINO ARMADILLIDIUM-VULGARE

The albino mutant strain in the woodlice, Armadillidium vulgare, was i nvestigated with respect to the yellow patterns on the dorsal integume nt. Pigment cells were observed with electron microscope in order to d etermine the cell types of yellow markings. Quantitative analyses of p teridines in the albino were carried out by HPLC. The result indicated that the albino integument contain sepiapterin, biopterin, pterin, is oxanthopterin as in the wild type and the red mutant strain. The total amount of the four pteridines in the albino was about half as much as that in the red phenotype for both males and females, respectively. M ales and females showed almost the same totals and ratios of the four pteridines in the albino and red phenotypes. Therefore, pteridine cont ents in both phenotypes of A. vulgare may not be related to the activi ty of androgenic gland hormone. Yellow chromatophores of the albino an d red phenotypes were morphologically identical, emitting a yellow flu orescence. These cells contained numerous electron-lucent pigment orga nelles which were similar to pteridine granules of the wild type.