• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.117-125
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• 2010

The tropical tasar silkworms, Antheraea mylitta (D) produce famous silk 'Kosa' in central part of India. Due to outdoor rearing it became susceptible to viral infection including cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (CPV). The common mode of entry of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus is per os and cause gresserie disease to the larvae. Histopathological studies elucidated the insect CPV virus produces infective polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIBs) in the midgut cell cytoplasm of virus infected fifth instar larvae. The PIBs multiply enormously in the cytoplasm without invading the nucleus. Ultrastructural studies confirmed the pathological effects of CPV on in midgut cell cytoplasm. The multiplication of polyhedral inclusion bodies took place into the vacuoles and form virogenic stromata in the cytoplasm of cells. However, the encapsulations of polyhedral inclusion bodies into the polyhedrin protein occurred and polyhedra were released into the lumen. At the late stage of infection, cells showed the regressed cytoplasmic organelles with large vacuoles and elongated mitochondria. Hence, the horizontal transmission of CPV causing the midgut cells disintegration in the tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta (D) confirmed during infection.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.69-72
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• 2005

Bleaching powder solution (1 to $5\%$), slaked lime solution (0.1 to $0.5\%$) and formalin (1 and $2\%$) were tested for their efficacy against cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus and Nosema mylittansis spores to control virosis and pebrine respectively in tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta in indoor rearing condition. All the disinfectants tested were found effective in suppressing the infection of virosis and pebrine significantly. Complete inactivation of Antheraea mylitta cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (AmCPV) was recorded when treated with $4\%$ bleaching powder, $0.4\%$ slaked lime for 20 min and $2.0\%$ formalin for 30 min. Similarly treatments of $3.0\%$ bleaching powder solution for 20 min and $2.0\%$ formalin for 30 min were found effective in complete inactivation of N. mylittanis spores.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.120-127
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• 2014

The cerebral neurosecretory cells (NSC) constitute four paired groups, medial (MNC), lateral (LNC-I, LNC-II) and posterior (PNC) in the brain of larvae of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta (D) Eco-race Bhandara. The MNC is the largest groups of peptidergic neurosecretory cells and are located in the pars intercerebralis region. The transmission electron microscopic (TEM), ultrastructure of the NSC confirmed the presence of mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi bodies, lysosomes and neurosecretory granules. The median neurosecretory cells shows secretory activity and release of secretory products, the neurosecretory granules (NSG) in the axons of NSC as well as the blood sinus.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.111-115
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• 2004

Nutrition plays an important role in maintaining the larval health, cocoon quality and reproductive potential in Antheraea mylitta D. Nutritional efficiency greatly influenced if food is not adequate and of quality. A. mylitta silkworms were subjected to food deprivation for the period of 0 hr to 12 hrs /day to assess its effect on various nutritional parameters and indices, and its manifestation at different levels. Food ingesta, digesta, gain in body weight declined significantly at each level of deprivation, so also food utilization efficiency like consumption index (CI), growth rate (GR), approximate digestibility (AD), and efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI). This stress leads to decline in mean daily food ingesta by 16.73% to 39.76% and digesta by 28.98% to 54.01 % following a significant reduction in average daily body weight gain (27.68% to 55.09%). Food deprivation a1so caused significant loss in the silk gland weight, cocoon and shell weight (14.37% to 53.69%), lowered the fecundity (35.86 % to 83.59%) and in number of eggs laid per gram body weight, but simultaneously the number of non-chorionated eggs increased significantly.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 2013

Antheraea mylitta Drury is basically a crossbreeding species, as such it seems to be potentially a good material for the exploitation of heterosis. In the present study F1 hybrid of wild ecorace Laria (L) and semi-domestic Daba (D) was raised and evaluated for various quantitative traits and biochemical parameters during larval stage. Improved fecundity ($+18{\pm}1.8%$ and higher egg hatching rate ($+10.96{\pm}1.3%$) was recorded in the F1hybrid ($L{\times}D$). Biochemical parameters studied in the hemolymph, midgut and fatbody of the larva showed significantly higher (P<0.05) total proteins and carbohydrate concentration besides digestive enzyme activity. Correspondingly SDS-PAGE revealed more number of protein bands in the hemolymph sample of F1s, ranging between 29 kDa to 66 kDa compared to parental lines. The present study demonstrates the positive heterosis effect in the F1 hybrid of Laria ${\times}$ Daba. Biochemical analysis indicates that, there is possibilities of exploitation of hybrids with specific parents targeted for desirable commercial traits (silk yield and fecundity). Moreover, most of these biochemical parameters can be used as markers to analyze the genetic improvement in the tasar silkworms.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.97-101
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• 2006

The efficacy of wood ash from Terminalia arjuna (arjun) and T. tomentosa (asan) has been tested against virosis of tasar silkworm, Antheraea. mylitta D. The Polyhedral Occlusion Bodies (POBs) of Cytoplasmic Polyhedrosis Virus of A. mylitta (AmCPV) were exposed to the aqueous solution (0.5 to 4%) of wood ash for 5 to 30 minutes. The treated suspension of POBs was orally inoculated once to tasar silkworm larvae after 24 hours of $1^{st}$ moult, and larvae reared in indoor on arjun leaves till spinning. The application of aqueous solution of wood ash has established its potential as antiviral agent against cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus. Two percent aqueous solution of wood ash from arjun and asan dissolved the Polyhedral Occlusion Bodies (POBs) of cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus of tasar silkworm and inactivated the virions within a short period of 20 to 30 minutes. In vivo efficacy of aqueous solution of wood ash resulted in reduction of larval mortality due to virosis. The mortality was reduced to $2.56{\pm}0.21\;and\;3.03{\pm}0.32%$ when treatment of 2.0% solution of wood ash of arjun and asan respectively were applied for 20 minutes, compared to inoculated control $(92.18{\pm}7.52%)$. No mortality was recorded when treatment of 2.5% solution of wood ash of arjun and asan were applied for 10 minutes or more.

• 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.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.85-91
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• 2014

This study was designed to find out the effect of Nosema spore on oxidative damages and antioxidant defence in the midgut of tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta. Higher level of lipid peroxidation (LPX) and total hydroperoxides indicate the resultant oxidative stress in the Nosema exposed specimen. Increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) suggests activation of physiological mechanism to scavenge the superoxide radical produced during Nosema infection. Higher activities of catalase and glutathione-S-tranferase on $18^{th}$ d indicate adaptive behaviour of the tissue against oxyradicals. The results suggest that Nosema infection is involved in altering the active oxygen metabolism by modulating LPX and reactive oxygen species (ROS), which is indicative of pebrine disease disorder.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.187-192
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• 2009

Silk filament progression study applying backcross breeding with recipient parent Jata and donor parent Daba ecoraces of tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury conducted during 2006 to 2008, revealed introgression of filament denier (10.2 d) superior to both parents at BC4 level. Also, the silk waste (0.35%) and filament breaks (2.6 nos) were reduced compared to both parents, while the filament length (973 m) and non break filament (296 m) improved over donor and could attain closer to recipient parent. The best performance of Jata $\times$ Daba at F1 level, with highest silk filament length (1646 m) of 12.5 d denier, denotes heterosis impact on silk trait with parental heterogenousity, an advantage to exploit silk filament yield. The progression of quality in terms of finer filament denier, less silk waste and least number of filament breaks over both parents and improvement in filament length and non break filament over donor parent except for a marginal shortage against recipient at BC4 level indicates the prospects of Jata and Daba ecoraces as source of breeding material for qualitative improvement of tasar silk filament. The study suggests that the commercially important finer denier of tasar silk filament can be attained with minor reduction in silk yield of wild Jata ecorace by adopting repeated backcrossing for four generations with semi domesticated Daba ecorace.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.135-144
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• 2014

Rearing of tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury is mainly conducted in outdoor on Terminalia tomentosa W. & A. a nature grown primary host plant available in forest and also on raised primary host plant Terminalia arjuna Bedd. Temperature, relative humidity and rainfall are the main environmental factors for occurrence of pests (parasites and predators) of tasar silkworm during I, II and III crop rearing in the tropical tasar producing zones. The present study was aimed to study the influence of abiotic factors on prevalence of tasar silkworm pests. The study was conducted at different agro-climatic regions viz., Central Tasar Research &Training Institute, Ranchi, Jharkhand, Regional Extension Centre, Katghora, Chattisgarh and Regional Extension Centre, Hatgamaria during 2010-13 covering 3 seed crop and 6 commercial crops. Data on incidence of tropical tasar silkworm endo-parasitoids like Uzi Fly, Blepharipa zebina Walker and Ichneumon fly (Yellow Fly), Xathopimpla pedator, Fabricius and Predators such as Stink bug (Eocanthecona furcellata Wolf), Reduviid bug (Sycanus collaris Fabricius) and Wasp (Vespa orientalis Linnaeus) was recorded Weekly. The meteorological data was collected daily. Data was collected from 4 different agro-climatic zones of tasar growing areas. Analysis of the data revealed a significant negative correlation between abiotic factors and incidence of ichneumon fly and uzi fly. Based on the 3 years data on prevalence of pests region-wise pest calendars and prediction models were developed.