Fungal disease of white muscardine in Silkworm, Bombyx mori L.

Abstract :

White muscardine is a fungal disease, it is most common and more prevalence during rainy and winter seasons. Usually silkworm diseases are prevalent throughout the year in all sericultural areas/countries. Silkworm Bombyx mori L. are affected by major diseases, such as grasserie, flacherie, muscardine and microspordian. White muscardine disease is most dangerous, virulent in silkworm and mainly caused by entomo-pathogenic fungi of Beauveria bassisana also named as mycosis. This disease is highly infectious in larval and pupal stages and inflicts heavy loss to cocoon crop every year. Low temperature and high humidity plays big role for the occurrence of muscardine, fungus grows well in relatively high humidity 90 to 95% and low temperature below 25 C. The study result revealed that, diseased larvae die within four to five days of infection. Larva mummified after 24 hrs of death, the whole body covered with white fungi conidia, and survival diseased larvae spun the cocoon and dead inside due to severe/secondary infection and fail to emerge as moth. Disease is transmitted through developed germination spores by diseased larvae after its death and consequently high humidity and low temperature plays a strong role for spread of muscardine disease inside the rearing tray/bed. In the present paper study has been made to understand in relation to the white muscardine disease in silkworm and its nature of morphological symptoms role have been discussed


Keyword :

Silkworm Bombyx mori L., Fungual Beauveria bassiana and symptoms of muscardine disease


Author(s) : Nirupama, R.
Downloads : 1888
Published Issue : 2014 Vol. 9 Number 2


2014 Vol. 9 Number 2