• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.125-132
• /
• 2003

Uzi fly (Exorista bombycis Louis) is one of the major larval endo-parasitoid of silkworm (Bombyx mori). It causes extensive damage to sericulture industry. The application of synthetic organic pesticides has tremendous impact on minimizing pest population but their overuse and frequent misuse and high sensitivity towards the silkworms, has forced the entomologists to search for alternatives to chemical control, which is safe to silkworm, environment and farm workers. Biological control continues to offer exciting possibilities for the control of fly pest population. It is environmentally safe alternative to chemical control and offering a long-term protection. Several potential hymenopteran parasitoids have been screened. Among successful natural enemies, Nesolynx thymus, Trichomalopsis apanteloctena, Trichopria sp., Brachymeria lasus, Pediobius sp., Spalangia sp., Spilomicrus karnatakensis and Dhirhinus sp. are important. It is essential to predict accurately the efficacy of these natural enemies in a new habitat prior to its introduction. The important desirable attributes of these potential parasitoids viz., host searching capacity, specificity, power of increase and fitness and adaptability of the parasitoid in new environment has been recorded. Results of the host parasitoid interaction indicate that the aging of the host function as a factor that influence the host finding efficiency of the parasitoid. It is highly scored with 15-20 hrs old pupa of the host. However, aging of the parasitoid does not significantly affect it. The sex ratio is female biased which is advantageous from biological control point of view, Biological suppression methods involving conservation and utilization of natural enemies have been discussed in detail.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.29-36
• /
• 2003

Phytoecdysteroids with moulting hormone (MH) activity induce different responses in silkworms when used on different day of final instar, which can be manipulated for maximum benefit like early and uniform spinning behaviour, reducing crop loss and to increase cocoon yield. The results showed that application of this hormone on seed crop viz., CSR2, CSR4 and BL44 and BL67 in early stage of 5$^{th}$ instar i.e., at 72 hrs and 96 hrs though induced early and uniform spinning behaviour, there was an adverse effect by 9-36% on the economic characters like cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight and also on fecundity etc. Application of this hormone in late stage of $5^th$ instar i.e., at the onset of spinning showed non-significant variations in some of the characters like cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and fecundity. The physiological implications of phytoecdysteroid in hastening the maturation events and synchronization of spinning activities in different breeds are discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.169-172
• /
• 2008

Indian tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta D is reported to have forty four ecoraces by way of their adoption to different topographical and vegetational conditions. Of late, another ecorace 'JATA' - univoltine under in-situ condition has been explored which is localized in Thakurmunda area of the foot hills of Simlipal biosphere (Mayurbhanj district) of Orissa, India. The ecorace 'Jata' exhibits superior economic characters over widely commercialized ecoraces of Daba and Sukinda. The cocoon production of localized 'Jata' ecorace is depleting day by day in in-situ condition. In the present study, efforts were made to stabilize the ecorace 'Jata' under ex-situ condition at Ranchi (Jharkhand), where the 'Jata' ecorace silkworms were reared on Terminalia tomentosa for four successive generations during 2006 and 2007 and the cocoons were preserved in grainage house under prevailing climatic conditions. The results indicated change in voltinism behaviour of the 'Jata' ecorace from univoltine to bivoltine. The rearing performance and grainage efficiencies indicate the tendency of 'Jata' ecorace towards acclimatization and stabilization under Ranchi climatic conditions. The 'Jata' ecorace manifests the prospects for acclimatization, stabilization and commercial exploitation.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.2 no.2
• /
• pp.149-153
• /
• 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
• /
• v.5 no.1
• /
• pp.13-22
• /
• 2002

Stink bug, Canthecona furcellatta (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is an important predator of silkworm larvae. Nymphs and adult attack the early stage silkworm larvae and causes about 10-15 per cent loss to silk industry. Synthetic organic pesticides has tremendous impact on minimizing the pest population but repeated and frequent use has created problems of residual toxicity, development of resistance to insecticides, pest resurgence and out break, phyto-toxicity and hazards to non target species and beneficial organism. Silkworms are very sensitive to pesticides; therefore, attempt has made to control the bug population through introduction of its native natural enemies in the silkworm-rearing field. Biological control has tremendous scope in sericulture because it is eco-friendly in nature and non-harmful farmers. Native natural enemies have been screened. Psix striaticeps, Trissolcus spp. and Telenomus spp. have been recorded as the most potential parasitoid against pentatomid bug. Life cycle, sex ratio and other various attributes of the par-asitoids have been recorded. The parasitization potential of the parasitoid is very high and they have the ability to discriminate between parasitized and unpar-asitized host. Mass propopagation technique under laboratory condition has been standaydized.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.23 no.1
• /
• pp.137-141
• /
• 2011

A previous data was provided information for tissuespecific expression genes by means of whole-genome oligonucleotide microarray in the silkworm. We analyzed the tissue-specific expression patterns in the hemocyte tissue on 5 days of 5th instar larvae during the development of $B.$ $mori$. Total 5 candidates pick out from the $Bombyx$ $mori$ Microarray Database (BmMDB; http://silkworm.swu.edu.cn/microarray). To verify the hemocyte-specific expression, we analyzed by semi-quantitative and real-time quantitative RT-PCR using the highly expressed endogenous $Actin$ RNA as an intrinsic reference. In this study, we confirmed that one gene-sw17255- out of 5 candidates expressed in the hemocyte tissue, which was consistent with the previous data. Circulating hemocytes in the body fluid of the $B.$ $mori$ are most powerful target organ for producing biomaterials. We need further studies to find hemocyte-specific promoter region from sw17255 gene. Finally, this result can be applied in creating transgenic silkworms as a biomedical insect.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.34 no.1
• /
• pp.11-15
• /
• 2017

We constructed the fibroin H-chain expression system to produce enhanced cyan fluorescent proteins (ECFP) in transgenic silkworm cocoon. Fluorescent cocoon could be made by fusing ECFP cDNA to the heavy chain gene and injecting it into a silkworm. The ECFP fusion protein, each with N- and C-terminal sequences of the fibroin H-chain, was designed to be secreted into the lumen of the posterior silk glands. The expression of the ECFP/H-chain fusion gene was regulated by the fibroin H-chain promoter. The use of the 3xP3-driven EGFP cDNA as a marker allowed us to rapidly distinguish transgenic silkworms. The EGFP fluorescence became visible in the ocelli and in the central and peripheral nervous system on the seventh day of embryonic development. A mixture of the donor and helper vector was micro-injected into 1,020 Kumokjam, bivoltin silkworm eggs. We obtained 6 broods. The cocoon was displayed strong blue fluorescence, proving that the fusion protein was present in the cocoon. Accordingly, we suggest that the ECFP fluorescence silk will enable the production of novel biomaterial based on the transgenic silk.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.171-177
• /
• 1996

It was carried out to find the carbohydrate metabolism for the glycogen utilization and the effects of low temperature(1$\circ$C, 5$\circ$C)on embryonic development of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. The content of sorbitol and glycerol in the chillihg eggs stored at 5$\circ$C or 1$\circ$C on 24 hours after oviposition showed the highest level on the 50th day. After that, the corresponding value in the eggs stored at 5$\circ$C were decreased, and the value in the eggs stored at 1$\circ$C maintained the similar level. The trehalose level was rapidly increased on 50$\sim$60th day or thereabouts, and then, it was accumulated. When the eggs stored at low temperature were tranaferred and developed the embryo at 25$\circ$C, sorbitol and glycerol were respectively changed to glycogen. Futhemore, the content of trehalose and glucose showed specific of patterns with each embryonic stage at low temperature. With the aforementioned results, the intemediary metabolism of carbohydrate was discussed with regard to embryonic development of non-diapause eggs of silkworms.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.113-116
• /
• 2001

Fifth instar larvae of the new bivoltine hybrid (CSR2 ${\times}$ CSR5) were reared under different temperature and humidity viz., $20^{\circ}C$ and 85 ${pm}$ 5% R.H (T1), $25^{\circ}C$ and 70 ${pm}$ 5% R.H (T2-Optimum), $30^{\circ}C$ and 80% ${pm}$ 5 R.H (T3) and $35^{\circ}C$and 50 ${pm}$ 5% R.H (T4). The cocoon yield, cocoon characters and disease incidence were studied in normal (non infectious source, i.e control) rearing as well as in 1% infectious source of rearing. The results indicated that V instar larval duration was prolonged and cocoon weight was improved in T1. ERR and shell ratio were significantly improved and disease incidence was minimised in T2. Further significant difference was observed among the treatments with regard to spread of diseases.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.265-267
• /
• 2004

The silkworm, Bombyx mori L. is prone to infection of various pathogenic organisms. Pebrine, one of the deadliest disease of silkworm caused by highly virulent parasitic microsporidian, Nosema bombycis has been understood since long. Infections of the disease range from chronic to highly virulent and can result in complete lose to the sericulture industry. Several strains and species of microsporidians have since been isolated from the infected silkworms. A new microsporidian spore was isolated from Lamerin breed of the silkworm B. mori have been studied under scanning electron microscope, found to be different in spore size (length 4.36$\pm$0.06 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, width 2.14$\pm$0.01${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$) and shape (ova cylindrical with slight depression) from standard strain N. bombycis (length 3.08$\pm$0.21 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, width 2.01$\pm$0.05 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and ovidal respectively). In immunological test, the silkworm breed Lamerin isolated micrisporidian spore does not react to different antibody (N. bombycis, M$_{11}$ and M$_{12}$) sensitized latex particle and thus appeared to be a different strain of microsporidian parasitic to the Lamerin breed of the silkworm B. mori.i.i.