• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.25-36
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• 1989

In this experiment, gene action were analyzed for seven silkworm varieties in order to obtain basic information on their genetic improvement by diallel crosses. The results obtained were summarized as follows : In F1 generation, over-dominance was shown by Vr-Wr graphic analysis in four characters such as cocoon length in female, bave weight, cocoon weight and boiling off ratio in both male and female, and partial dominance in four characters such as fifth instar period, cocoon layer weight, cocoon layer ratio and bave length. In F2 generation, the partial dominance in all characters were obtained. Components of genetic variance analyzed for five characters such as fifth instar period, cocoon width, cocoon layer weight, cocoon layer ratio and fibroin contents in F1 generation, and for four characters such as cocoon width, cocoon layer weight, cocoon layer ratio and frbroin contents in F2 generation showed that addition effects were higher than dominant effects.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.59-63
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• 2003

In the present study, hybrid vigour in terms of heterosis and over dominance of newly evolved bivoltine hybrids and their reciprocals raised from the promising newly evolved bivoltine breeds were calculated for the important parameters like pupation, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, shell weight, shell ratio, raw silk percentage, filament length and neatness. Through there was no significant difference among the hybrids for the characters pupation, cocoon yield and cocoon weight, the magnitude of heterosis and over dominance were varied significantly for these characters. However, significant differences were observed between new hybrids and control hybrid for the characters like cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, filament length and raw silk percentage. The results indicate that majority of new hybrids have shown higher heterosis and over dominance than control hybrid. The data also indicate that highest mean heterosis of all new hybrids was recorded for cocoon yield followed by filament length. Whereas highest mean over dominance was recorded for cocoon yield followed by cocoon weight. Negative mean heterosis and over dominance were recorded for the trait cocoon shell ratio. Based on the results, the importance of three hybrids viz., CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR4, CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR5 and CSR3 ${\times}$ CSR6 and their reciprocals (CSR4 ${\times}$ CSR2, CSR5 ${\times}$ CSR2 and CSR6 ${\times}$ CSR3) which exhibited significant heterosis and over dominance, for commercial exploitation was discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.15-20
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• 2003

The present investigation was carried out to study the possible cause for reciprocal difference in silkworm hybrids. By utilising the polyvoltine race Pure Mysore (PM) and newly evolved breeds (CSR2, CSR5, CSR16 and CSR17), the direct and reciprocal crosses of polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine and also bivoltine hybrids were studied. The hybrids of polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine (direct) are superior to their reciprocal crosses in respect of cocoon yield, cocoon weight and filament length. The reciprocal crosses of polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine are superior to their direct crosses in respect of fecundity and short larval duration. No significant differences were observed in the characters like cocoon shell ratio, raw silk percentage, denier, reelability and neatness in both polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine direct crosses and their reciprocals. The expression of cocoon characters as a function of sex revealed that direct crosses (polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine) showed higher cocoon weight, pupal weight, shell weight and longer filament length in females than the reciprocal crosses (bivoltine ${\times}$ polyvoltine), where as these characters in males were almost the same in both direct and reciprocal crosses, indicating that the sex-linked genetic factor played a more important role. it was clear that difference in cocoon yield observed in reciprocal crosses of polyvoltine ${\times}$ bivoltine was due to the low cocoon and shell weight in females which was turn due to presence of early maturity genes (Lme) linked with sex-chromosome (X) which effect on larvae period of the silkworm. In bivoltine hybrids, i.e., both direct and their reciprocals crosses, all the characters viz., hatching percentage, larval duration, survival, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, raw silk percentage, filament length, denier, reelability and neatness did not show any significant difference (except number of eggs laid by moth) which could account for presence of same maturity genes (Lm) in both direct and reciprocal crosses. it was clear that reciprocal differences occur when the hybrids are prepared from the parental strains with different voltinism.

• Natural Product Sciences
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.66-69
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• 1995

Traditional Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoon is tawny color. The white Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoons studied here by IR and UV are new breeds of recent breeding. We discovered that the main body of the first grade structure of silk protein in the new white is as same as the one in the traditional tawny Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoon, yet there are small quantities of cross-linked polymer of gentisic acid and silk protein in the white silkworm cocoons. In spite of the least surviving quantity of the polymer, the white silkworm cocoons are most white and its white color is similar to white Bombyx mori silkworm cocoon.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.119-122
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• 2006

As the Selenium is known to be growth promoter in sheep and cattle, the efficacy of selenium has been tested in silkworm Bombyx mori L. The V instar larvae were fed with lethal and sub-lethal doses of selenium treated leaves. The larvae fed with lethal dose showed a significant decrease in growth and Cocoon commercial characters. The treatment with sub lethal dose exhibited a significant increase in the growth of the silkworm. Correspondingly, the cocoon commercial characters on exposure to the lethal dose showed significant decrease and sub lethal dose showed a significant increase. In the light of similar findings reported earlier in other cocoon crops and vertebrates, it can be inferred that selenium at lower doses acts as a growth stimulator, resulting in the higher yield of cocoon crop.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.33-39
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• 2009

Brood caring behavior was observed in Amaurobius ferox (Araneae, Amaurobiidae), a semelparous subsocial spider, from cocoon construction until the emergence of spiderlings from the cocoon. Unlike most spiders, which emerge from cocoon by their own means, A. ferox mothers intervene in the process of the emergence of their young. I manipulated broods by removing the mother prior to emergence to determine the effects of maternal behavior on the emergence of spiderlings. My results showed that maternal intervention making the cocoon expansion and its exit, is not absolutely necessary for the emergence of A. ferox spiderlings from the cocoon. Nine clutches out of ten were able to get out of the cocoon by their own means without their mother's help. There was no difference between control groups ('with mother') and experimental groups ('without mother') in the number of spiderlings that emerged ($96.9{\pm}25.3$ vs. $90.4{\pm}14.2$, respectfully) and in the time from the beginning to the end of emergence ($36{\pm}12$ vs. $41{\pm}17$ hours). Time from eclosion until the emergence of the first individual in a clutch, however, was greater in the mother-absent group (3.5 days) than in the control group (2.0 days). The construction of the cocoon by the mother required always occurred in the same area within the retreat, and took approximately 6 hours, and the mother guarded the eggs during the incubation period. The emergence of the spiderlings followed a sigmoidal pattern. After emergence, the spiderlings formed a very compact group on the cocoon, which may be important in securing maternal care. The absence of cribellum and calamistrum, structures likely involved in their survival, observed in individuals of the first instar suggests that in the first stage of life, the spiderlings are dependent on their mother.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.154-166
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• 1999

General characteristics and life span of silkworm moth were investigated amongst 277 gene resources preserved and maintained in Korea. Silkworm varieties were classified according to the commercial characteristics and the viability of tested varieties. There were significant differences among the eight different commercial characteristics of silkworm such as whole larval period, duration of 5th instar, pupal body weight, single cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, cocoon yield and longevity, Tropical race showed the longest life span among the other five geographical races, and followed by Japanese, European, Chinese and Korean race in order. In the longevity of each variety, Daizo(sdi) showed the shortest life span with 4.3days, and J037 was the longest as 16.0 days. Average longevity of female was 11.1 days as showed 3.0 days longer than that of male which was 8.2 days. Total average longevity of the whole varieties was 9.7days. In the correlation between the longevity and commercial characteristics, there was a tendency that the commercial characteristics became better when the life span was longer. According to the result of Complete Linkage Cluster Analysis, the genetic resources of 277 silkworm varieties classified into 5 groups such as “Group I”for short life span with low cocoon yielding “Group II”for middle life span with middle cocoon yielding,“Group III”for the shortest life span with low cocoon yielding, “Group IV”for high pupation rate and the highest cocoon yielding with comparatively long life span, and “Group V”for the longest life span with comparatively high cocoon yielding.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.6-15
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• 2020

Silk has attracted the attention of numerous research groups because of its unique properties as a biomedical material. Recently, studies on the biomedical application of silk cocoon, such as membranes for guided bone regeneration, have been conducted. As a preliminary study on silkworm cocoons, the morphological structure and crystallinity of cocoon of nine silkworm varieties with different sides are examined in this study. The morphological structure of the silkworm cocoon is shown to be dependent on silkworm variety and the cocoon layer (i.e. outside or inside). It is also shown that the silk filaments of the out layer are more bent and twisted compared to those of the inner layer. Furthermore, the crystallinity of the outer surface of all silkworm cocoons is found to be higher than that of the inner surface, regardless of the silkworm variety. Lastly, it is shown that the crystallinity index of the cocoon depends on the silkworm variety, implying that the structure of the cocoon varies with silkworm variety.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2004

Studies on heterotic expression in the silk productivity of 66 thermo-tolerant bivoltine hybrids reared under high temperature $(36{\times}1^{\circ}C)$ and low humidity (60${\times}$5%) conditions revealed that manifestation of heterosis was highly significant for majority of the quantitative traits contributing to more cocoon productivity. Observations were made on 8 economically important traits such as fecundity, pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio, cocoon filament length and raw silk. Analysis of variance results revealed great deal of variability indicating significant (P < 0.001) variations. Out of 66 hybrids, 7 hybrids exhibited positive heterosis for seven traits and 4 hybrids expressed significant hetero-beltiosis for 6 traits, out of 8 traits evaluated. Based on results, the hybrids ${SR_1} {\times} {SR_5}and {CSR_2} {\times} {SR_5}$ are adjudged as most promising ones and can be exploited commercially in tropical climates to increase the cocoon productivity.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.41-46
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• 1975

In order to investigate the individual difference in the cocoon quality of female and male silkworm, Bombyx mori, the individual variation of cocoon quality of all the examined population, the variation of cocoon quality within batches. The variation of batches were also examined with 19 batches (843 cocoons of female and 806 of male) of lam 111 X Jam 112, and the daily variation of cocoon quality after harvesting on 300 good cocoons of female and male is as follows：(table omitted) 2. The daily variation of cocoon quality after harvesting. The daily reduction rate of cocoon weight after havesting was higher at the late stage than at the beginning stage of pupal duration and it showed a tendency to be higher in male than in female pupae.