• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.5-10
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• 2003

The nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV) resistance of silkworm is controlled by a pair of dominant genes on autosome and micro-effect modificator genes on sex chromosome Z and has the phenomenon of patroclinal inheritance. Based on its hereditary characteristics, methods of preparing near isogenic lines and their $F_2$ populations for screening molecular markers were designed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.87-93
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• 2006

Multiplication and spore production of three microsporidia viz., Nosema bombycis, Nosema sp. 1 and Nosema sp. 2 in fifth instar larval tissues of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. in two seasons with distinct temperature regimes were studied. Nosema sp. 2 produced significantly (P < 0.01) higher number of spores in various tissues. Among the tissues, spore production was highest in silk gland, followed by fat body and gut. Spore production was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in season-II (Average temperature $29.4{\pm}1.1^{\circ}C$). Maximum spore production was observed 25 days post inoculation (p. i.) in season-I (Average temperature $18.9{\pm}1.1^{\circ}C$), whereas in season-II, it was 14 days p. i. In season-I, spore production was low up to 21 days p. i., then increased sharply. In season-II, there was a steady increase in spore production. The results indicate that the microsporidian multiplication is tissue specific and extremely sensitive to temperature at which the host is reared. It also reveals that, silk gland, fat body and gut are the most appropriate tissues for microscopic identification of microsporidia in the larval stage.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2009

Quality of seed in the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori (L.) is determined by many important factors, wherein unfertilized eggs play an important role. Unfertilization of eggs are caused by several reasons such as, abnormality in the sexual organs of the male and female, abnormal development of the micropylar end of the egg, unfavorable environmental conditions during spinning, cocoon preservation, imperfect handling of moths, mating, ovipostion, cold storing of pupae / moths and indiscriminate use of male moths etc. Though the presence of unfertilized eggs would in no way affect the fertilized ones and their quality directly, the frequency of their occurrence underrates the quality and brings down the hatching percentage. Lower the occurrence of unfertilized eggs, higher is the rating of seed quality. Of the various intrinsic and extrinsic factors and events involved in egg deposition of an adult silk moth, mating is an instinct and a biological obligation for the ultimate perpetuation of the species and a must to provide stimulus for oogenesis and bring about biochemical changes in the spermatophore of the silkworm in order to ensure the presence of sufficient number of normal sperms and testicular fluid in the female reproductive organ, activating ovulation and accelerating oviposition behavior and egg deposition. An attempt has been made in this article to briefly elucidate the characteristics of unfertilized eggs, causes of their occurrence and its impact as well as the significance in silkworm seed production.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.73-78
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• 2004

The impact of low concentration fluoride on toxification was studied by treating $3^rd$ instar silkworm larvae of Qiufeng${\times}$Baiyu (Fluoride resistant strain) and Jinshong${\times}$Haoyue (Fluoride sensitive strain). The $5^th$ instar silkworm larvae of Zhenong-l, Shu-12, Qiufeng ${\times}$ Baiyu, Chunhua ${\times}$ Qhiushi, Jinshong and Haoyue were fed mulberry leaves treated with sodium fluoride at different concentrations to determine its effect on fecundity. Harmful effects of low concentration fluoride at early instars on growth, development and economic characters of Bombyx mori are related to its resistance. Harmful effect on resistant strain Qiufeng${\times}$Baiyu manifested on prolongation of instar duration of 15 and 6% in 70 ppm, where as the sensitive breed Jinshong${\times}$Haoyue manifested with 100% mortality in 50 ppm. The impact of low concentration fluoride on fecundity resulted in considerable increase in formed eggs (9%) and laid eggs (9%) in Zhenong-l and Shu-12 among treated population over control. The present observations emphasis that fluoride apart from exhibiting harmful effects on silkworm growth and development, however, its low concentration do playa vital role in inducing some positive effect on fecundity and cocoon traits.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.83-89
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• 2009

Multiplication and spore production of three microsporidia(Nosema bombycis, Nosema sp. 1 and Nosema sp. 2) in selected tissues of pupa and adult of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. were studied in two seasons (SI, SII) with distinct temperature (SI: $20.1{\pm}0.8^{\circ}C$ and SII: $25.1{\pm}0.7^{\circ}C$) regimes. Multiplication of the microsporidia followed a logistic pattern with a lag phase, an exponential phase and a stationary phase. In SII, spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in various tissues. Highest spore production was observed 30 days post inoculation (p.i.) in SI and in SII, it was $21{\sim}23$ days p.i. Spore production was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the gut tissues than other tissues. Nosema sp. 2 registered significantly (P<0.01) higher spore production in both the seasons compared to Nosema bombycis and Nosema sp. 1. Results indicate that the multiplication and spore production of microsporidia are tissue specific and extremely sensitive to the temperature at which the host is reared. Through this study, the precise day that the spore numbers of the microsporidia are maximized can be predicted in both pupa and adult in case the infection is initiated in the first instar.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.197-202
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• 2003

The hot climatic conditions prevailing particularly in summer are not conducive to rear these high yielding bivoltine hybrids throughout the year, In order to select efficiently the breeds with high temperature tolerance, it is very important to analyze critically the impact of high temperature on many silk yielding attributes of silkworm races. Keeping the above in view, the present study was undertaken to determine the effect of high temperature $(36 {\pm} 1^{\circ}C)$ and high humidity $(80 {\pm} 5% Relative Humidity)$ on the rearing performance of pure races, foundation crosses, single hybrids and double hybrids of bivoltine silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The robust bivoltine breeds, CSR18, CSR19, 8HT and 5HT, eight foundation crosses, eight single hybrids and eight double hybrids involving these breeds were chosen as materials in this study.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.63-68
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• 2007

The response of silkworm, Bombyx mori L. to phytoecdysteroid (PE) when administered at different ages of $5^{th}$ instar was studied in the popular bivoltine ($CSR2{\times}CSR4$) and multi${\times}$bivoltine ($PM{\times}CSR2$) silkworm hybrids, reared on the Victory-1 variety of mulberry leaves. PE was administered to $5^{th}$ instar silkworm per os at a rate of $250{\mu}g$ per 100 larvae to different batches of silkworm at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144 hrs and at the onset of cocoon spinning when a few larvae were ripe. The larval and mounting duration, cocoon yield and cocoon characters were influenced by PE. The intensity of influence was dependent on the time of application. The larvae treated at the beginning of the instar, improved the economic traits significantly with a marginal increase in larval duration. In the larvae treated at the middle of the instar, larval duration was shortened remarkably but the economic traits were adversely affected. This particular treatment can become a good management strategy in the case of mulberry leaf shortage or disease incidence. In the larvae treated at the onset of cocoon spinning, the mounting duration was substantially reduced without much effect on the cocoon traits which would be a big benefit in commercial sericulture. The physiological significance of varied response of silkworm to PE administration is discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2002

Induction of non-diapause eggs and manifestation of quantitative characters were studied in different seasons by low temperature incubation of eggs of a low yielding diapause with coloured cocoons silkworm breed, RDI of Bombyx mori. Hundred percent of nandiapause eggs were induced when the egg incubation was carried out at 15$^{\circ}C$ followed by incubation initially at $25^{\circ}C$ and then at $15^{\circ}C$. The diapause-nondia-pause relation was found to be reversible. Analysis of variance study demonstrated significant variation in all the quantitative characters whereas significant variation due to different incubation treatments was observed for larval span, fifth instar larval span, cocoon yield/10,000 larvae by weight, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, and cocoon shell ratio. study on hybrid vigour skewed significant heterosis over mid parent value for four economic characters viz., cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and filament length in a Fl hybrid between RD1 with diapause eggs and Japanese type bivoltine $NB_{4} D_{2}$.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2002

Parthenogenetic development, hybrid vigour and cocoon shape variability were studied in bivoltine F1 hybrids of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. Considerable breed differences were observed in parthenogenetic ability. Among the parental breeds, CSR18 exhibited maximum parthenogenetic development (79.65%) followed by CSR4 (67.90%). Among bivoltine F1 hybrids, CSR18 ${\times}$ CSR4 showed highest parthenogenetic development (73.32%) followed by CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR4 (55.43%). Study on hybrid vigour demonstrated that CSR18 ${\times}$ CSR19 expressed maximum significant hybrid vigour for all the seven economic characters over Mid Parent Value (MPV) followed by CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR4 and CSR18 ${\times}$ CSR4 exhibiting significant heterosis for six characters. Cocoon shape measurement study revealed that among ten bivoltine F1 hybrids, cocoons of three hybrids were found comparatively uniform. Importance of this study to know the level of paythenogenetic development, hybrid vigour and cocoon shape variability in different bivoltine F1 hybrids have been discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.63-72
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• 2006

Parthenogenesis, the development of unfertilized ovum opens new perspectives in silkworm breeding in the development of homozygous breeds. In order to improve induction of artificial parthenogenesis in the excised unfertilized eggs of different breeds of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L., a new method was devised and the results were compared with the routine method. General and specific combining abilities and hybrid vigour of newly developed bivoltine breeds were analyzed utilizing bivoltine breeds viz., $CSR_2,\;CSR_4,\;CSR_{17}\;and\;NB_4D_2$ Estimation of GCA revealed superiority of the breeds, $DNB_1$ for eight characters followed by $DNB_4$ for five characters. Among the testers, $CSR_2$ was found good general combiner for seven characters followed by $CSR_{17}$ for four characters. A great deal of variations was observed among the hybrids studied. Five hybrids namely, $DNB_1{\times}CSR_2,\;DNB_4{\times}CSR_4,\;DNB_4{\times}NB_4D_2,\;DNB_6{\times}CSR_2\;and\;DNB_7{\times}CSR_2$ showed significant SCA effects for 5-6 characters. The hybrid, $DNB_4{\times}CSR_4$ showed its superiority by expressing significant hybrid vigour over BPV for 7 characters. Majority of the hybrids exhibited significant hybrid vigour for survival rate, yield/10,000 larvae by weight, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, filament length and denier.