Altitude and Food Plant Dependent Growth Variation in Pupa of Indian Tasar Silk Insect, Antheraea Mylitta Drury (Saturniidae) Grown During Rainy Season

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Altitude and Food Plant Dependent Growth Variation in Pupa of Indian Tasar Silk Insect, Antheraea Mylitta Drury (Saturniidae) Grown During Rainy Season Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-4, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Altitude and Food Plant Dependent Growth Variation in Pupa Of Indian Tasar Silk Insect, Antheraea Mylitta Drury (Saturniidae) Grown During Rainy Season Dr. L. K. Jena Department of Zoology, S. R. College, Baliapal, Balasore – 756023, Odisha, India. Abstract: The nutritional status of food plants species, the larva of which feeds on the leaves of a and altitudes play pivotal role in successful rearing number of food plants available in the natural of Indian tropical tasar silk worm Antheraea forests located at different altitudes. It is widely mylitta Drury both in commercial and seed crops. distributed in India in the form of about 44 The pupa is the most crucial stage of its life cycle ecoraces between the range of 16 - 240 N latitude for the adult life and race continuation as well as and 80 – 880 E from West Bengal in the East to for exploiting its genetic potency and dynamics to Karnataka in the South with its natural inhabitation our best advantages. In the present investigation an in the forest areas of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, experimental rearing of Antheraea mylitta Drury Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra was carried out during rainy season in Similipal Pradesh. It is usually trivoltine (TV) (three broods Biosphere Reserve, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India to in a year) at lower altitude (50 - 300 m ASL), evaluate the performance of growth parameters bivoltine (BV) at middle altitude (301 - 600 m like length, diameter and weight of pupa ASL) and univoltine (UV) at higher altitude (601 - metamorphosed from mature female larva reared 1000 m ASL). The tasar silk worm feeds the best on eight different food plants at lower, medium and on plants such as Asan (Terminalia alata W. & A.), higher altitudes. The performance of all the growth Arjun (Terminalia arjuna W. & A.) and Sal parameters of the female pupae at all the three (Shorea robusta Gaertn) which are considered as altitudes was observed to be significantly the primary tasar food plants. However, more than two highest in Sal food plant (Shorea robusta Gaertn.) dozens of secondary host plants are also available and the lowest in Jamun host plant (Syzygium of which Ber (Ziziphus jujube Gaertn), Sidha cumini (L.) Keels). The investigation also revealed (Lagerstroemia parviflora Roxb.), Dha that irrespective of the species of food plants, (Anogeissus latifolia Wall.), Bahada (Terminalia higher altitude is the most favourable for tasar belerica (Gaertn) Roxb.) and Jamun (Syzygium cocoon crop performance in comparison to cumini (L.) Skeels) are the most abundant. These medium and lower altitudes during rainy season. In unutilized secondary food plants can be exploited view of comparatively superior performance of sustainably for the rearing of A. mylitta by the growth parameters of female pupa of A. mylitta tribal rearers. The pupa is the resting stage of tasar during rainy season, the eight species of food silkworm where it stops feeding and remains plants utilized were graded in the order Sal > Asan almost dormant. It is a transitional stage when > Arjun > Ber > Sidha > Dha > Bahada >Jamun almost all biological activities and internal organs and the altitudes were ranked in the order higher of the larval body undergo a complete change. The altitude > medium altitude > lower altitude. life cycle of A. mylitta includes a long period of pupal diapause during summer and winter seasons. Key words: altitude, rainy, Antheraea mylitta, Since the food plants are known to have profound pupa, growth, food plants effects on economy of cocoon crop, establishment of food plant specificity of silkworm at different 1. Introduction altitudes during different seasons along with evaluation of commercial parameters of tasar The Indian tropical tasar silk insect Antheraea culture in different host plants is highly essential mylitta Drury is a semi-domesticated polyphagous for increasing the production of raw silk and seed cocoons. Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 160 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-4, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in A number of studies have already been made on tabular presentation was also prepared by use of the the performance of rearing of A. mylitta at lower experimental data to study and establish the altitude in some food plants [6]. Besides, literatures correlationship of growth tendency of female pupae are also available on Comparative Study of the between different food plants and altitudes. The Effect of Different Food Plants [8], Evaluation of data so obtained were statistically analyzed by Novel Tasar Silkworm Feed [13], rearing with applying standard methods like ‘t’ test and artificial diet [3], endocrine mediation in ANOVA test [18] for each type of pupal growth termination of pupal diapauses [15], influence of parameter. temperature and photoperiod on termination of pupal diapauses [12], bioenergetics during 3. Results diapauses [16], larval energetics in different food plants [5, 7, 4], impact of environmental factors on During rainy season at lower altitude, the the indoor rearing [17], induction of biomolecules highest growth of female pupa of A. mylitta in in mature leaves of T. arjuna [1], role of terms of length (4.14 ± 0.06), diameter (2.11 ± phytohormones in terminating pupal diapauses [2], 0.05) and weight (12.62 ± 0.13) was observed in rearing and cocooning in indoor conditions [14], Sal food plant (Table 1). The lowest pupal growth but lack of information on the growth performance in length (2.49 ± 0.06), diameter (1.01 ± 0.04) and of A. mylitta raised on different primary as well as weight (8.58 ± 0.14) was recorded from Jamun unutilized secondary food plants at different food plant (Table 1). The ‘t’ test indicated altitudes during different seasons prompted to take significant (p < 0.05) difference in growth in terms up the present investigation to evaluate the growth of length, diameter and weight of the female pupae trend of pupa metamorphosed from female larva of raised on different food plants. The ANOVA test A. mylitta in different food plants at different also showed significant (p < 0.01) interaction altitudes during rainy season for proper gradation between the food plants and the growth parameters of the food plants and altitudes. of pupae metamorphosed from female larvae reared at lower altitude during rainy season. Considering 2. Materials and Methods the overall performance of growth parameters of female pupae of A. mylitta during rainy season at A number of food plants having identical age lower altitude the food plants were graded in the and growth were selected at random from each of order Sal > Asan > Arjun > Ber > Sidha > Dha > the eight species at three different altitudes i.e. Bahada >Jamun. lower altitude (50 – 300 m ASL), medium altitude The growth of female pupae of A. mylitta in (301 – 600 m ASL) and higher altitude (601 – 1000 terms of length (cm), diameter (cm) and weight (g) m ASL) for the rearing of larva of A. mylitta during was also evaluated at medium altitude during rainy rainy season. The food plants were kept under season. The highest growth of pupa in terms of watch and ward activities throughout the rearing length (4.36 ± 0.05), diameter (2.19 ± 0.03) and process. The cocoon crop experiment was started weight (12.88 ± 0.14) was observed in Sal food with hatchlings hatched from 5 B.V. dfls supplied plant (Table 2). The lowest growth in length (2.64 by Research Extension Centre, Central Silk Board, ± 0.05), diameter (1.16 ± 0.03) and weight (9.54 ± Bangriposi, Mayurbahnj, Odisha. The larvae were 0.12) was indicated by the Jamun grown female reared on each type of food plant as per pupa (Table 2). Significant (p < 0.05) difference in recommendation of FAO manual and guidelines growth in terms of length, diameter and weight of published by Regional Tasar Research Station, the female pupae raised on different food plants Central Silk Board, Baripada, Mayurbhaj, Odisha. was observed from ‘t’ test. The ANOVA test also At the late fifth instar stage, the female larvae showed significant (p < 0.01) interaction between allotted with different serial numbers started the food plants and the growth parameters of pupae spinning the cocoon and metamorphosed to pupa grown at medium altitude during rainy season. In within the cocoon. The tough cocoons were view of comparatively superior performance of harvested from the food plants and their shell growth indices of female pupae of A. mylitta during covers were cut open to collect the pupae. The rainy season at medium altitude the gradation of female pupae were sorted out food plant wise. Then the food plants was in the order Sal > Asan > Arjun the growth of pupae was evaluated in terms of > Ber > Sidha > Dha > Bahada >Jamun. length (cm), diameter (cm) and fresh weight (g) in Likewise, during rainy season at higher altitude each species of food plant. The length and diameter the growth in length (cm), diameter (cm) and of the female pupa were measured by using weight (g) of female pupae of A. mylitta was also millimeter scale and slide caliper respectively. The analyzed. The highest value of pupal growth in weight of the pupa was determined gravimetrically terms of length (4.57 ± 0.03), diameter (2.34 ± by using 0.001 mg sensitive digital balance. The 0.04) and weight (13.62 ± 0.16) was observed in Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Page 161 Imperial Journal of Interdisciplinary Research (IJIR) Vol-2, Issue-4, 2016 ISSN: 2454-1362, http://www.onlinejournal.in Sal food plant (Table 3). The Jamun grown female growth performance of female pupa on Ber remains pupa exhibited the lowest growth in length (2.86 ± very much at par with Arjun and Sal, for which it 0.05), diameter (1.19 ± 0.04) and weight (9.91 ± can be included under primary group of food plants 0.13) (Table 3).
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