The metabolism of the insecticide carbaryl (1-naphthyl N-methylcarbamate) by fat body of the blowfly larva Calliphora erythrocephala

1. Carbaryl is metabolized more rapidly by fat body of the blowfly larva than by gut, muscle, cuticle or haemolymph. 2. Metabolism of carbaryl by the fat body is affected by the age of the larva, the pH of the incubation medium, and the concentration of magnesium chloride in the incubation medium. 3. Chloramphenicol, 2,4-dinitrophenol and 5-dimethylamino-6-nitro-1,3-benzodioxole (a carbaryl synergist) inhibit carbaryl metabolism by the fat body. 4. Subcellular fractionation of the fat body indicates that the pellet sedimenting at 30000g is the most reactive with carbaryl. 5. Probable metabolites of carbaryl formed by the fat body include the 4- and 5-hydroxy derivatives, and, possibly, the N-hydroxymethyl and 5,6-dihydrodihydroxy derivatives.