• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.41-43
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• 2006

Lamerin breed of the silkworm Bombyx mori L. is the only mulberry silkworm breed which survives with an associated microsporidian $(Lb_{ms})$ infection from generations. This present comparative investigation has produced information on the influence of $Lb_{ms}$ on the growth and development of the breed. The $Lb_{ms}$ transmits tranovarially as well as perorally at low level. Larvae developed from the eggs laid by female, infected with $Lb_{ms}$ were as normal as larvae developed from the eggs laid by healthy female. In infected tissues early developmental stages and mature spores located intracellularly but did not show hypertrophy of cells of the host. The meronts and sporonts measures $0.46{\pm}0.25,\;1.11{\pm}0.05{\mu}m$ in length and $0.32{\pm}0.05,\;0.78{\pm}0.10{\mu}m$ in width respectively. The mature spore measures $4.36{\pm}0.06{\mu}m$ in length and $2.14{\pm}0.01{\mu}m$ in width.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.93-119
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• 2014

Tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a polyphagous silk producing forest silkworm of commercial importance in India. Forest dependent people rear its larvae on different forestry host plants twice or thrice in a year for small household income. Larvae of A. mylitta feeds on many forest tree species, but always show a great degree of selectivity as a function of its behavioural responses to physical structure and chemical features of the host plants. Cocoon crop of A. mylitta is influenced by heterogeneity of tasar food plants and climatic conditions of the habitat. The role of host plants, temperature, humidity, rainfall, photoperiod and climatic variables on the growth and development of insects have clearly been demonstrated. This article entails an in-depth analysis on ecological and nutritional aspects of A. mylitta, which may provide selective information to researcher and forest managers, who are particularly associated with livelihood improvement of the poor people in forested area through location specific forest insect industry.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.149-153
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• 2001

The influence of baculovirus Bombyx mori Nuclear Polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) infection on intermediary metabolic pathways in silkworm Bombyx mori L. was investigated. Studies revealed that NADP-linked malate dehydrogenase activity in hemolymph of infected silkworms at 96 hrs post infection (p.i.) with visible symptoms of infection was enhanced in comparison to healthy larvae of the same age. Also, NADP-dependent MDH activity was significantly lower in fat body cytosol of infected larvae at 96 hrs p.i. when compared to healthy larvae. Similarly, some biometabolic parameters like growth, protein content and cholesterol titer were observed to be influenced by baculovirus infection. While the growth of infected larvae was significantly retardedi protein content was also drastically reduced in both hemolymph and fat body tissues. Cholesterol titers however, was enhanced in infected larvae. The results observed herein point to a significant change in the normal biochemical and biometabolic pathways required for growth and development following BmNPV infection.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2023

Mulberry (Morus spp.) production is a vital activity in sericulture along with rearing of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) for silk production. The Sericulture Research and Development Institute (SRDI) conducted a study that evaluated 11 mulberry varieties, including nine newly-evolved mulberry hybrids and two check varieties. These mulberry varieties were fed to silkworm hybrid, DMMMSU 115 x 100. The rearing performance of DMMMSU 115 x 100 was determined based on the silkworm economic traits such as weight of 10 matured larvae, cocoon weight, shell weight, shell percentage, cocoon yield, reelability percentage, filament length and filament size. Six silkworm rearing trials were conducted with 50 silkworm larvae per treatment in three replicates. The data were analyzed in a one-way Analysis of Variance. Significant differences were tested further using Tukey's Honest Significant Difference. Mulberry varieties that garnered an evaluation index value of higher than 50 were identified and selected. Results of the study revealed significant variations among the mulberry varieties based on the parameters gathered except on the reelability of cocoons, filament length and size. Matured silkworm larvae fed with Alf 55 were significantly heavier and higher cocoon yield compared to those fed with Alfonso and S₅₄. Alf 32, Alf 55, Alf 58, Bat 37 and Bat 73 were identified as potential varieties and highly recommended as feed for the silkworm hybrid, DMMMSU 115 x DMMMSU 100.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.15-23
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• 1987

The strain differences in larval walking behavior of 39 silkworm varieties, Bombyy mori, have been investigated. larval walking distance in silkworm varieties were remakably different. The walking distance was the longest in the matured larvae following the newly hatched larvae and in the other larval stage the distance was very short. The means of the walking distance in larval stages were as follows ; newly hatched larvae was 2.58cm, 3rd instar 0.72cm, 5th instar 1.18cm and matured larvae 2.94cm. The length of relative walking distances in each variety was not always in proportion to each larval stage. Therefore, the controlling factor of walking behavior was assumed to be different by the each larval stage. In the newly hatched larvae, 3rd instar and 5th instar larvae, the distribution range of walking distance was very broad in European races, narrow in Chinese races and medium in Japanese races. There was not much differences in the walking distance of mature larvae among European, Chinese and Japanese races.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.37-43
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• 1984

The prevalence of the infectious flacherie virus (FV) disease causes a severe damage to cocoon yield and various methods to control the disease have been studied. In this regard, guanidine hydrochloride (GH), one of the guanidine derivatives known as the most inhibitory agent against the replication of picorna virus, was applied to silkworms per os with mulberry leaves and the results were as follows. 1. The application of GH below 0.01% of the chemical concentration did not give any damage to silkworm larvae. 2. The transmission of the virus disease by introducing the FV infected larvae to the healthy larvae group was proportioned to the number of infected larvae. When l% of infected larvae was introduced to the rearing tray of healthy larvae, the pupation rate was 70.7%(79) and it was 38.4% (43) to 5% of infected larvae introduced, while the control of non-mixed with infected larvae gave 89.2% (100) of pupation rate. The cocoon yield from 10,000 larvae also showed the same tendency as the pupation rate. 3. The inhibitory effect of GH against the replication of FV showed ten times in treatment of 0,01% of the chemical agent compared to the non-treatment. 4. The successive application of GH after virus inoculation to silkworm larvae led to the most effective on the inhibition of the virus replication. 5. The immediate application of GH after the virus inoculation also gave the best effect on the inhibition of the virus replication in silkworm larvae. 6. The effect of GH on the inactivation of FV in vitro was not observed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.107-117
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• 2005

Oral supplementation of minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate on $CSR_2,\;CSR_4\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races with different concentrations (70, 110 and $160\;{\mu}g/ml$) were fed to the fifth instar larvae. Two of the four normal feeds per day was substituted with treated leaves fed to silkworm at fifth instar larvae. The controls were fed with the leaves sprayed with distilled water and normal leaves. The $CSR_4$ race treated larvae showed a significant increase in silkgland weight, cocooning percentage, female cocoon weight, male cocoon weight, male cocoon shell weight, male cocoon shell ratio, filament length, filament weight, denier, fecundity, number of eggs per ovariole and length of the ovariole when compared with those of the corresponding parameters of the carrier control, whereas in $CSR_2\;and\;CSR_2{\times}CSR_4$ crossbreed races showed a significant increase in larva1 weight and other parameters similar to that of $CSR_4$ race. The results suggested that the silkgland showed good response to minerals mixture of potassium bromide and nickel sulphate only in $CSR_4$ race when compared with those of other two races of the silkworm, B. mori.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.179-181
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• 2003

$F(ab`)_2$-ELISA and direct antigen coating-ELISA (DAC-ELISA) were evaluated in the detection of purified Bombyx mori nuclear polyhedrosis virus (BmNPV) and nuclear polyhedrosis virus infection in silkworm larvae inoculated with BmNPV polyhedra. Although nanogram levels of BmNPV was detected in both DAC- and $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA, similar concentrations of antigen was detected in case of F(ab’)$_2$-ELISA even at higher dilution of antibody (up to 1 : 20 K). One hundred percent nuclear polyhedrosis infection was detected 6 hrs after inoculation in BmNPV infected silkworm larvae by $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA. On the other hand, detection of 100% infection was observed only three days after inoculation in DAC-ELISA. In this study, it was observed $F(ab`)_2$-ELISA was more sensitive than DAC-ELISA in the detection of purified BmNPV as well as nuclear polyhedrosis infection in silkworm larvae.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.121-126
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• 1995

The effects of oral application of fenoxycarb, the commercial formulation Insegar, to the selected developmental stages of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, was investigated. An oral application of the chemical to the silkworm from the 2nd- to the 5th-instar larvae delayed the larval development upto more than 40 days and increased the larval body weight in the range of 1.1 to 1.7 folds. When the chemical was orally applied to the final instar larvae, spinning and pupation were prevented, and consequently permanent larvae occurred. The weight of a cocoon and its shell of silkworm(bombyx, mori, L) increased following the application of fenoxycarb to the 2nd- and the 3rd-instar larvae.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.69-72
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• 1993

Effects of topical application with 1, 5 and 10 ${\mu}$g/ml testosterone on the precocooning and post cocooning traits of the polyvoltine. Pure Mysore breed of silkworm were studied. Each concentration was treated independently at 36th to III, IV and V instar larvae(Treatment-1), at 48th to IV and V instar larvae(Treatment-2_ and at 72th to V instar larvae(Treatment-3). The repeated application with each concentration of testosterone propionate in treatment, and 2 larvae or single application in treatment 3 variously affected the precocooning and post cocooning traits. Repeated applications of all doses of testosterone propionate(Treatment-1) and single application of 1 & 5 ${\mu}$g of the chemical(Treatment-3) increase the fecundity and decrease the percentage of cocooning and moth emergence.