It has been isolated from a variety of sources including the petals and flowers of plants in the genus Physalis, orange rind, papaya, egg yolk, butter, apples, and bovine blood serum.
The larvae feed exclusively on fruits of Physalis species, which are enclosed in an inflated, lantern-shaped calyx.
Physalins are steroidal constituents of Physalis plants which possess an unusual 13,14-seco-16,24-cyclo-steroidal ring skeleton (where the bond that is normally present between the 13 and 14 positions in other steroids is broken while a new bond between positions 16 and 24 is formed; see figure below).
These weed species include Solanum nigrum (nightshade), S. aculeatissimum (soda apple), Chenopodium album (pigweed), Datura stramonium (jimson weed), Linaria canadensis (blue toadflax), and Physalis spp.
Other cnidarians, such as the jellyfish Cyanea capillata (the "Lion's Mane" made famous by Sherlock Holmes) or the hydrozoan Physalia physalis (Portuguese man o' war, "Bluebottle") can cause extremely painful and sometimes fatal stings.
atlanticus preys on other, larger pelagic organisms: the dangerously venomous Portuguese Man o' War Physalia physalis; the by-the-wind-sailor Velella velella; the blue button Porpita porpita; and the violet snail, Janthina janthina.
Physalis pubescens is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by many common names, including husk tomato and hairy groundcherry in English, and muyaca and capulí in Spanish.
Physalis viscosa is a species of flowering plant in the nightshade family known by many common names, including starhair groundcherry and grape groundcherry in English, and arrebenta-cavalo, balãozinho, and camambú in Portuguese.