Accelerates ovarian maturation in females. Widely expressed in the nervous system. Expressed in corpora cardiaca, hypocerebral ganglion, frontal ganglion, protocerebrum, antennal lobe, tritocerebrum and thoracic ganglia. Not detected in corpora allata, pars intercerebralis, circumesophageal connectives, subesophageal ganglion, abdominal ganglion and abdominal perisympathetic organs. The nonapeptide is a truncated form of the predicted neuropeptide F sequence. The predicted form, which extends from 28-60, is probably processed to a nonapeptide via cleavage at a K-X(6)-R-Y motif. Initial cleavage by a prohormone convertase presumably occurs C-terminally of Arg-50, with the remaining Tyr-51 removed by an aminopeptidase afterwards. The predicted form might be expressed in ovary or midgut. Belongs to the NPY family.