Fig. 1.

Carotenoids in WT and albino mutants of T. urticae. (A) Carotenoids observed in females of Tetranychus mite species as reported in earlier studies (26, 33, 34). The previously proposed pathway from presumptive dietary β-carotene to the terminal keto-carotenoid astaxanthin is shown (34); intermediates, minor carotenoid species, and carotenoid esters are not indicated. (B) Carotenoid profiles in nondiapausing (ND) and diapausing (D) WT T. urticae females, and in nondiapausing albino mutants as reported by Veerman (26) (compare with A). Plus or minus signs indicate relative levels, with the keto-carotenoids undetectable in albino mites. Schematics of WT and mutant mites are given at the top; for display, the eyes have been enlarged.