Ethanolic extracts of crude drugs and plants were examined for a possible metamorphosis activity in insects, by observing the state of pupation, using the free abdomen of flies. The results are summarized in Tables I to V. Among the crude drugs, bezoar as well as the leaves of taxum and mulberry showed such activity. Among the plants, no marked activity was found in mushrooms and sea-weeds. Among the ferns some activity was found in Blechnum nipponicum, Athyrium nipponicum, A. squamigerum, Lastrea japonica, Rumohra miqueliana, and Dryopteris chinensis. In higher plants, Podocarpus nakaii and Achyranthes spp. showed the activity, and so did also Taxus cuspidata var. nana, Podocarpus nagi, Torreya nucifera, Akebia quinata, Amaranthus spinosus, A. magnostanus, and A. viridis.
