Studies on biology of mulberry silkworm (Bombyx Mori L.) feeding on mulberry Singh Khushwinder*, Singh Baljinder, Kaur Komaljot Faculty of Agriculture, Guru Kashi University, Talwandi Sabo, 151302, Bathinda, Punjab, India *Corresponding Author's Email - khushwindersingh@gku.ac.in, Orcid id -0009-0004-0453-7822
Online published on 3 May, 2025. Abstract The studies on biology of mulberry silkworm on V1 variety of mulberry were carried out under laboratory conditions from March 2024 to April 2024. The durations of life stages were recorded from egg hatching till emergence of adults . Female laid eggs singly, that were round, ellipsoidal, with a flat ventral side and a tiny depression in the centre that consist of sticky substance with 164±43.18 eggs per female. First instar larvae known as chawki worms have yellowish-brown body coloration and no markings on their bodies. The second to fifth abdominal segments were marked with two circular brown spots on both second and third instar larvae. The larvae in their fifth and fourth stages were entirely white. After four moults, the larva reached full maturity in 23.5±2.08 days. After that, the pupal stage lasts for 9.75±1.70 days. Before emerging as an adult, the pupa secretes an alkaline fluid that is brown in colour. This fluid softens the end of the cocoon and causes the silk strands to break down. Female moth lived longer as compared to male moth. The dimensions for length and breadth of the male and female moths were 1.412± 0.21cm and 1.846± 0.21cm and 0.532± 0.12cm and 0.592± 0.06cm, respectively. Thus, this study helps to understand the biology and economic benefits of rearing silkworm in the South-Western Punjab. Top Keywords Bombyx mori, Biology, Lifecycle, Sericulture, Silkworm. Top |