VARIABILITY OF STEROL UTILIZATION IN STORED-PRODUCTS INSECTS

A comparison of sterol utilization by 3 stored-products insects reveal ed very different capabilities. The flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum, dealkylates and converts dietary sitosterol to about equal amounts of cholesterol (43.7%) and 7-dehydrocholesterol (39.8%), whereas another flour beetle, Tenebrio molitor, produces considerably less 7-dehydroc holesterol (16.8%) and relatively more cholesterol (66.7%) from sitost erol. The lepidopteran, Plodia interpunctella, utilized dietary sterol very similar to plant-feeding Lepidoptera, producing primarily choles terol (86.5%) from sitosterol.