• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.57-61
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• 2012

The Indian Oak Tasar silkworm, Antheraea proylei J. is a beneficial insect with great economic importance in India for its silk production. In this study, six populations of Antheraea proylei and A. frithi Moore (as an out group) were subjected to inter simple sequence repeat (ISSR) marker analysis in order to assess its genetic diversity. Fifteen ISSR primers produced 91 markers among different breeds of A. proylei and A. frithi of which 89 are polymorphic, generating 97.8% polymorphism. The dendrogram constructed using the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) and cluster analysis made using Nei's genetic distance resulted in the formation of one major group containing four sub-groups separating the breeds. This result suggests that ISSR amplification is potentially useful for molecular characterization of oak tasar silkworm genotypes.

• BMB Reports
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.236-241
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• 2008

The antioxidant potential of silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta cocoon has been assessed and compared with that of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori. Skin fibroblast cell line (AH927) challenged with hydrogen peroxide served as the positive control for the experiment. Our results showed that the sericin obtained from tasar cocoons offers protection against oxidative stress and cell viability is restored to that of control on pre-incubation with the sericin. Fibroblasts pre-incubated with non-mulberry sericin had significantly lower levels of catalase; lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde activity when compared to untreated ones. This report indicates that the silk protein sericin from the non-mulberry tropical tasar silkworm, A. mylitta can serve as a valuable antioxidant.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.69-75
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• 2009

Daba ecorace of Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae), the semi domesticated Indian tropical tasar silkworm being reared outdoor; the egg and silk yields are dependent of genotype environment interaction. The insufficient maintenance and multiplication of its P4 seed stock need a coherent as well as scientific strategy to safeguard breed potential, being commercially applied ecorace. The sort-out lines of P4 stock studied over five generations highlighting on commercial trait up gradation suits for a tropical crop season, revealed enhanced performance. The line with high pupal parents (T2) shown improved fecundity (12.9%) and the line with high shell parents (T3) recorded higher shell weight (40.0%) and silk ratio (24.1%). While, the line of high pupal female and high shell male (T4) reveal enhancement in fecundity (9.0%), egg hatching (14.1%), shell weight (50.0%), silk ratio (35.2%) and absolute silk yield (52.0%) indicating the need and role of varied basic seed stock lines. The approach could improve economically vital egg fecundity and cocoon shell weights besides balancing them in same line for commercial operation. The progressive show of lines (T1 to T4) along successive generations (G1 to G5), in spite of passing through seed crop (Jul-Aug) and commercial crop (Sep-Nov) seasons emphasize their compatibility. The study infers that the strategic plan of combining preferred parental phenotypes, methodical selection for desired commercial trait(s) through generations with best possible genotype environment interaction has enriched P4 stock with elevation in needy trait(s) besides assuring choice of suitable lines for seasons and regions and timely replenishment of basic seed of Daba ecorace.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.249-253
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• 2009

Raily ecorace of Indian tasar silkworm is wild in nature and distributed abundantly in dense deciduous forest on Shorea robusta (Sal) in Bastar ($17^{\circ}4'$ and $20^{\circ}34'$ N, $80^{\circ}15'$ and $82^{\circ}15'$ E and altitude ranging from 150 to 1200 mMSL) forest ranges of Chhattisgarh, India. It is represented by about 20 populations. Out of those, eleven populations showed intra- as well as inter- population variability based on phenotypic expression and also in major economic traits viz. cocoon weight, shell weight, filament length and denier. Genetic diversity in these eleven populations was studied using Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) markers. The band profiles generated with eight ISSR primers have depicted variation in band size. All the primers exhibited polymorphism which is an indicative of the genetic variation in individual Raily silkworm. Among the populations, total polymorphism recorded was 76%. The population genetic aspects assessed through POPGENE software package are discussed in the paper. Nei's gene diversity (h) ranged from 0.194 to 0.337 exhibiting high heterozygosity. Relevance of the present study is of high significance in formulating conservation strategies and sustainable utilization of the economically important Raily ecorace of Antheraea mylitta.

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.138-143
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• 1996

Cooking of tasar silk cocoon of Deba variety (A. mylitta D.) with tartaric acid has been optimized by using an orthogonal central composite design. Shell weight loss and silk filament recovery are influenced by duration of treatment and acid concentration. Mechanical properties do not change with the process parameters. Hardness of water does not affect significantly the recovery of silk filament.

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

• Journal of Sericultural and Entomological Science
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 1995

The aim of the present work is to investigate the level of faults present in tussah silk yarn as detected on an Uster instrument for four different varieties of commercially available tussah(tasar) silk yarns. The structure of these faults were analysed further so as to understand the mechanism and source of their generation.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2013

The commercial rearing of polyphagous Indian tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury being practiced on naturally grown primary food plants like Terminalia arjuna, (Arjun) Terminalia tomentosa (Asan), and Shorea robusta (Sal) available in the tropical forests of central India, at times, is seriously affected by the disease- Pebrine, caused by Nosema sp., a microsporidian pathogen. The present investigation on comparative larval, silk gland weight and also cocoon parameters in Pebrine-free and Pebrine-infected ecorace of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury (Daba TV), illustrates the tasar silkworm larvae infected with pebrine disease causing heavy losses to the economy of the silk industry.

• 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.20 no.2
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• pp.61-67
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• 2010

The bivoltine tropical tasar ecoraces of Antheraea mylitta Drury produces cocoons for seed production under seed crop rearing (July-August with $22{\sim}30^{\circ}C$ temperature and 50~70% relative humidity) and for silk production under commercial crop rearing (September-December with $17{\sim}27^{\circ}C$ temperature and 60~80% relative humidity). To consider the impact of hybrid vigour on egg, larva, cocoon and silk related commercial traits, the $F_1$ hybrids made among Daba, Jata and Raily ecoraces were assessed successively for three years. The hybrid vigour in the $F_1$ hybrid of Daba$\times$Jata ($T_7$) was positive for egg fertility (+23.1%), shell weight (+25.6%), silk yield (+79.0%) and filament length (+68.1%), with filament of high denier (11.98d) and reduced larval span (-7.1%). The Jata$\times$Daba ($T_8$) hybrid has shown negative heterosis in egg fertility (-8.0%) compared to the other F1 hybrids, Daba$\times$Raily ($T_9$) and Raily$\times$Daba ($T_{10}$), when they rise simultaneously during the commercial crop season. The better performance of parental ecoraces ($T_4$ to $T_6$) in their commercial traits during commercial crop over parents of seed crop ($T_1$ to $T_3$) and the superior performance of $F_1$ hybrids ($T_7$ to $T_{10}$) over parents of commercial crop ($T_4$ to $T_6$) during commercial crop season indicates the apparent hybrid vigour in tasar $F_1$ hybrids. As the Daba$\times$Jata ($T_7$) and Jata$\times$Daba ($T_8$) $F_1$ hybrids have shown highest hybrid vigour, their rearing during commercial crop can optimize the silk productivity and commercial sustenance of the tasar silk industry.