Abstract
Ultraviolet weavelength (UV) of 366 nm produced clearer fluorescent dolor than that of 254 nm for the inspection of silkworm cocoons. Fluorescent color of silkworm cocoons varied in color, appears no relationship with the natural color under the normal light. Uniformity of fluorescent color was improved by selection of blue or yellow line from wild types. Blue and yellow, located at the opposite poles on the color solid and L*a*b* color system, confirmed as pure standard of fluorescent color in the silkworm races for commercial white cocoons. the cocoons with blue fluorescence occupied as high as 1.7 to 8.6 times than those with yellow in the Japanese silkworm races. Fluorescence of silkworm cocoon was not affected by forced flow dry at 70$^{\circ}C$ for 6 hrs. While the Japanese races revealed no sexual difference in fluorescent color, sex-dependence of the color was common in the Chinese races for commercial white cocoon. The fluorescence of cocoon shell of Chinese races showed clear separation of blue of median color. Silkworm strain of Dc20 and Fc24 were sexualy segregated 98.8${\pm}$1.20%, 99.0${\pm}$1.00% by cocoon fluorescence, as that of 99.3${\pm}$0.44% by typical larval marking of sex-limited inheritance. Specific expression of cocoon fluorescence, applicable to breeding of simple discrimination of sex for Chinese races, inspected thoroughly on the surface and inner layer of cocoon shell.