23 Kas 2024 Cumartesi
Bioecological studies of Indian golden silk moth, Antheraea assamensis Helfer (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)
Abstract :The bio-ecology of wild parental stocks of muga silk moth, Antheraea assamensis Helfer collected from the natural habitat of Meghalaya (India) and its potential for breeding in North-East India are studied. The morphological characteristics and behaviour at the different developmental stages of the silkmoth are discussed. Colour polymorphism of the larva is observed. The wild silk moth is purely multivoltine in nature and four life cycles are completed in a year. After October-November crop it undergoes diapause at the pupal stage and remained in this stage till 2nd or 3rd week of March of the next year. The average fecundity ranged from 132 -147 in wild race and from 130 to 150 in semidomestic race during the different rearing seasons. The ERR% of wild race ranged from 12.54 to 48.50 with the highest value during Late Kotia (November-December), while in semi-domestic stock it ranged from 14.48 to 60.12 with the highest value during Baisakhi (April-May). The cocoon shell weight ranged from 1.32g to 1.51g in wild race without any significant variations during the different seasons (p>0.05). In semi-domestic race the shell weight ranged from 0.39g to 0.49g without any significant variations during the different seasons (p<0.05). The wild race can be used in breeding for introgression of the genes for higher shell weight to the semi domestic race
Antheraea assamensis Helfer, bioecology, characterisation, conservation