Abstract
Basically insect hormones include ecdysteroids (molting hormone), juvenile hormones, and neurohormones comprising neuropeptides and biogenic amines. This article reviewed their chemical structures and biological functions. The active molting hormone is 20-hydroxyecdysone in most insects but makisterone A in some other insects including the honey bee and several phytophagous hemipterans. Most insects use JH III, but lepidopterans JH I and II. Dipterans also use a different JH, so-called JH $B_3$(JH III bisepoxide) and we still do not know the exact chemical structure of JH utilized in hemipterans. Some other insects use methyl farnesoate or hydroxylated JH III analogues as their juvenile hormone. Most diverse pictures can be found in neurohormones (NH), especially in neuropeptides, in terms of their number and structure. There are more than 200 neuropeptides (NP), classified into more than 30 families, which structures have been identified, and more of them are expected to be reported in the near future, partly due to rapid development in molecular biological techniques and in analytical techniques. More than half of them are involved in controlling activity of visceral muscles. But function (s) of many NPs are not clarified yet, even though their amino acid sequences have been identified. It is partly due to the fact that a single NP may have multiple functions. Another interesting point is their gene structure, having many number of independent, active peptides in one gene, apparently working for similar or totally different functions. NH also includes amines, such as octopamine, dopamine, serotonin, etc. From now on, investigation will be concentrated on identifying their function (s) and receptors, and on possibilities of their utilization as control agents against pest insects.
