• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.143-145
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• 2005

Lamerin breed of the silkworm, Bombyx mori L. for Northeastern India hosts a vertically transmitted microsporidian parasite for generations, which does not harm significantly the cocoon production. The transversally infected progenies do not exhibit marked external sign or symptom. The microspordian causes inapparent infection and over $(80\%)$ of the infected progeny survives and spin cocoons. There is possibility of co-existence between the breed and the associated micosporidian parasite. To evaluate the impact of the microsporidian on breed the present study was conducted in respect of tranovarial transmitted (observed as T1), secondarily infected (observed as T2) and healthy silkworm (observed as T3). The larval and pupal mortality was $12\%$ and $6\%$ in T1 and $10\%$ and $3\%$ in T2 batch, while in case of T3 batch there was no mortality. Significant changes were also observed in single cocoon weight, single shell weight, denier, reelibility, raw silk recovery $\%$ and neetness. There is no significant impact of the infection on the fecundity and hatchability. The hatchability of the eggs laid by healthy or infected moths are equall as much as control but the progeny had the infection transmitted from the parent.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2002

With the objective of selecting suitable breeding resource material, 10 polyvoltine and 10 bivoltine breeds were drawn from the germplasm collection of Central Sericultural Research and Training Institute, Mysore, and evaluated for 3 seasons comprising one year (6 trials). Data were collected on seven traits of economic importance such as fecundity, pupation rate, cocoon yield, cocoon weight, cocoon shell weight, cocoon shell ratio and filament length, and statistically analysed with two-way classification, Joint scoring method and evaluation index. Significant seasonal variations (P < 0.01) were observed in both polyvoltine and bivoltine breeds. Polyvoltines BL27, BL36 and BL54 and bivoltines CSR2, CSR4 and Daizo scored highest ranking values in all the three methods. Hybridization was initiated based on larval markings and cocoon shapes. Seasonal variations were discussed.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.75-78
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• 2005

Inheritance of cocoon and shell weight characters in silkworm crosses between sex-limited at larva stage lines, including three (NIG$_{1}$ $\times$ TV$_{3/2}$ ,NIG$_{1}$ $\times$ TBV$_{2/24}$ and NIG$_{1}$ $\times$ B$_{2/6}$ ) from Japanese type and three (NIG$_{2}$ $\times$ B$_{2/6}$ ,TV$_{3/2}$ $\times$ NIG$_{1}$ and NIG$_{2}$ $\times$ TBV$_{2/24}$ ) from Chinese type was studied at Regional Centre for Scientific­Applied Service - Vratza during the period of 2000 ­2002. Inheritance of tested characters in F I was deter­mined through genetic parameters, additiveness (a), dominance (d) and their ratio (d/a). Degree and frequency of transgressions in F$_{2}$ were calculated also. Over dominance (d/a(>) 1) with bigger contribution of the parent with higher value was determined at inheritance tested characters. Transgressions obtained at cocoon and shell weight characters were positive and varied in wide limits. The productivity of parent's lines had defined the variability of genetic parameters for degree and frequency of transgressions. Combination of positive transgressions at cocoon and shell weight characters in F2 hybrid populations from sex-limited at larva stage allow us to select individuals with high productive potential for further use in selection programs.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2004

Normally, silkworms, Bombyx mori, generate offspring by sexual activity. As we known, the hybrids of the first generation of the silkworm have higher cocoon production than pure lines. During the sericulture production, many processes are related with sex control. For example, sex sorting in the egg grainages, rearing of only male silkworm to save the mulberry leaf consumption and increase silk output and quality. Therefore it is very interested in understanding the sex control of the silkworm in theory and practice. Chinese sericultural scientists have been being engaged in the researches in the fields of artificifial parthogenesis, dispermic androgenesis, sex-limited varieties, sex linkage balanced lethal strain and high temperature sensitive male stocks for several decades and gained substantial achievement. Some of the achievements have been used in the commercial production. In this review, the authors introduced that the methods for control of the silkworm sex, and regulate the silkworm sex ratio according to different producing aim in the world and especially in China.

• 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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.75-79
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• 2003

Oral supplementation of zinc chloride to silkworm larvae in different concentrations (30, 60 and 90 ${\mu}g$/ml) to the fourth and fifth instar resulted in a significant increase in commercial traits, like larval weight, silk gland weight, cocooning percentage in lower concentrartion (30 ${\mu}g$) treated group. The female cocoon weight, shell weight and its ratio were significantly increased in 30 and 60 ${\mu}g$ treated groups, male cocoon weight, and shell weight in 30 ${\mu}g$ treated group and its ratio in 60 and 90 ${\mu}g$ treated groups, filament length, weight and moth emergence percentage in all the treated groups and egg productivity in 90 ${\mu}g$ treated group were increased significantly. The remaining groups did not show any significant changes compared with that of carrier control.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.69-74
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• 2001

The effect of topical application with androstenedione on economic parameters was analyzed following treatment of last larval stadium. The treated larvae showed significantly increased larval weight along with other enhanced larval, cocoon and adult parameters. The larval period was significantly shortened in all the treated groups with increased cocooning percentages cocoon weight and its shell weight in female and filament length, weight and denier in all the treated groups. Hatching percentage increased significantly in dose dependent manner in all the treated groups when compared with the corresponding parameters of the carrier control group. This suggests that androstenedione can be used effectively for commercial silkworm rearing.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.47-52
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• 2000

The effect of supplementation with potassium nitrate on economic parameters was analysed following treatment of last larval stadium. The treated larvae showed a significant increase in larval weight at 500$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml and silk gland weight in all the treated groups along with other enhanced larval, cocoon and adult parameters. The larval period was significantly decreased in all the treated groups with increased female and male cocoon weights its shell weights filament lengths at 500$\mu\textrm{g}$/ml. The denier was significantly decreased in all the groups. The filament weight moth emergence percentaged length of the ovariole were unaffected. However, eggs per ovariole, fecundity and hatching percentage significantly decreased compared with the corresponding parameters of the carrier control.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.48-52
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• 2012

Heavy metals and residual agricultural chemicals in Bombyx mori silkworm cocoon for nontextile usages were examined. Proximate composition of silkworm cocoon was examined; contents of moisture, crude protein, crude fat, and ash were about 5 ~ 6%, 93 ~ 94%, 0.4 ~ 0.5%, and 0.3 ~ 0.4%, respectively. The Heavy metals were analyzed by ICP/MS after acid digestion. Arsenic, cadmium, and lead were not detected. The average contents of mercury, zinc, and cupric were 0.317, 3.99, and 2.06 mg/kg, respectively. Agricultural chemicals, such as dichlorvos and paraquart also were not detected. Silkworm cocoon may be safe used for nontextile applications.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2003

The impact of antibiotic (Norfloxacin) administration ,at different concentration (50 ppm and 100 ppm) on commercial characters of bivoltine $({CSR_2}{\times}{CR_4})$ and the cross breed race $({BL_67}{\times}{CSR_101})$ was studied. The result indicated that antibiotic administration with different concentrations significantly improved the rearing and cocoon parameters like larval duration, larval weight, growth index, single cocoon weight, single shell weight and shell ratio. The post cocoon parameters like average filament length, non-breakable filament length, raw silk percentage, raw silk recovery percentage, denier, reelability and neatness were recorded significantly higher in antibiotic treated batches. The better performances of these parameters were recorded with the increase of antibiotic concentration.