Biology of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

The Bombyx mori, is a lepidopteran sericigenous insect. It belongs to family Bomycidae and the Super family Bombycoidea. For this insect, mulberry is sole food plant and it has been domesticated since 2500 BC. Like any other holometabolous insect it has passes through four distinct stages such as egg, larva, pupa and adult in their life cycle. In silkworm, though voltinism and moultinism are inherited characters but these characters are manifested at some extant by the environmental conditions like temperature and relative humidity, besides quality of mulberry leaf provided.
There are about as many as 2000 silkworm strains and rearing have been engaged in more than thirty countries of the world because of their economic importance. India is only the country which engaged in rearing of both mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms viz., tasar, eri and muga. The silkworm, B. mori utilizes mulberry nutrients and convert the same into silk protein such as fibroin and sericin in the form of cocoons. However, utilization of these nutrients differ sharply in different silkworm breeds is due to genetic endowment which inturn reflects on various metabolic process takes place in the silkworm body.
The India trails behind the China and occupy second position in the world for raw silk production. The quality and quantum of cocoon production depends upon mulberry leaf rich in nutrition, environmental conditions maintained during rearing and high yielding silkworm breeds. In addition to this, physiology of silkworm is also important it depends upon balance between anaboloic and catabolic process. Thusphysiological process are utmost importance for growth and development of silkworm larva which produce good quality cocoon.
The Bombyx mori, is a lepidopteran, sericigenous, holometabolous insect and mulberry serves as a sole food plant. India is only the country which engaged in rearing of both mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms viz., tasar, eri and muga. The silkworm, B. mori utilizes mulberry nutrients and convert the same into silk protein such as fibroin and sericin in the form of cocoons. However, utilization of these nutrients differs sharply in different silkworm breeds are due to genetic endowment. India holds second position in the world for raw silk production. The quality and quantum of cocoon production depends upon mulberry leaf rich in nutrition, environmental conditions maintained during rearing and high yielding silkworm breeds

COURSE LAYOUT

Week – I | 1. Characteristic Features of Insects | 2. Metamorphosis in Insects | 3. Types of Metamorphosis | 4. Salient Features of insect order | 5. Study of order Lepidoptera |
Week – II | 6. Sericigenous Fauna | 7. Beneficial Insects | 8. Harmful Insects | 9. Silkworm |
Week – III |10. Insect behavior | 11. Ovoviviparity and viviparity in insects | 12. Eggs Structure | 13. Embryology of Bombyx mori |
Week - IV | 14. Systematic Position of Mulberry and Non Mulberry Silkworms | 15. Silkworm Growth & Metamorphosis16. Popular Silkworm Breeds |
Week – V | 17. Voltinism in Silkworm | 18. Morphology of Egg, Larva, Pupa and Adult of Bombyx mori | 19. Integument: Structure, chemical composition |
20. Sclerotization of cuticle |
Week – VI | 21. Coloration and Moulting: integumentary derivatives | 22.Insect Nutrition | 23. Metabolism in Insects |24. Hemolymph |
Week – VII | 25. Circulatory system in insects | 26. Wing, antenna and leg circulation | 27. Insect nervous system |
Week - VIII | 28. Neuroendocrine system | 29. Insect Hormones | 30. Insect Immune System |
Week – IX | 31. Respiration: Insect respiratory system | 32. Excretion – Malpighian tubules | 33. Water balance in insect |
Week - X | 34. Digestive, Circulatory and Excretory system of Silkworm larvae | 35. Respiratory, Muscular, nervous, and reproduction system | 36. Muscle Physiology in silkworm Bombyx mori |
Week - XI | 37. Endocrinology of silk worm | 38. Moulting in silkworm | 39. Morphological and anatomical structure of silk gland and its physiology | 40. Anatomy of silk moth |