Abstract

EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON THE LABORATORY CULTURE OF TASAR SILKWORM, ANTHERAEA MYLITTA D. (SATURNIIDAE: LEPIDOPTERA)

Fatma Zohra Khatoon*, Vinod Kumar Singh and Sarfaraz Ali

Abstract

The present communication accounts for the relative impact of different environmental factors viz; temperature, photoperiod and humidity on the laboratory culture of indigenous tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta D. in relation to its behavioral manifestations. Results obtained are indicative of the fact that the indigenous tasar silkworm prefers optimum 300c temperature, 16hrs. photoperiod and 80% R.H. for its desired rearing and breeding performances influencing the productivity and quality of tasar cocoons. Results further reveal that when all the three optimum environmental conditions 300c+16hr. photoperiod+80%R.H. are applied together in a combination on the laboratory culture of Antheraea mylitta, the quantitative and qualitative outcome of Indoor tasar culture in respect of effective rate of rearing, cocoon weight, shell weight and shell ratio evidently get increased on account of cumulative effects of optimum conducive and desired environmental factors. The said optimum environmental factors have also resulted into relatively better breeding activities of Antheraea mylitta. The results obtained are very much inconfirmities with the earlier investigations carried out by Jolly et.al. (1973), Thangavelu (1990), Shamitha (2007), Kumar et.al.(2013) and Sharma et.al.(2013).

Keywords: Lepidoptera, R.H.(Relative Humidity), E.R.R.(Effective Rate of Rearing), photoperiod, Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia arjuna, Shorea robusta.