Accelerates ovarian maturation in females. Widely expressed in the nervous system. Expressed in corpora cardiaca, hypocerebral ganglion, frontal ganglion, protocerebrum, antennal lobe, tritocerebrum, thoracic ganglia, esophageal nerves, recurrent nerve and frontal connectives. Not detected in corpora allata, circumesophageal connectives, subesophageal ganglion, abdominal ganglion and abdominal perisympathetic organs. Belongs to the NPY family.