FOOD LEVEL IN RELATION TO RATE OF DEVELOPMENT AND EYE PIGMENTATION IN DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Abstract

In the development of larvae of D. m. an organizational change takes place at about 70 hours after egg laying (25[degree]C). Larvae deprived of food after the 70-hour change are probably somewhat accelerated in development. Periods of complete removal of food from vermilion brown larvae are without apparent effect on eye pigment production. This is true whether the starvation period be short or long and whether it comes before or after the 70-hour change. Partial starvation of larvae, under certain conditions, greatly increases the amount of eye pigment formed by vermilion brown flies. The period of development most sensitive to this "starvation effect" on pigment production by the eye lies shortly before the 70-hour change. The production of a supposedly specific eye color hormone, [upsilon]+ hormone, can be influenced greatly by the amount of food given to vermilion brown larvae during a limited period of development, the period of maximum sensitivity referred to above.