Biology of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

By Dr M N Anil Kumar | University of Mysore, Mysuru

Learners enrolled: 469

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. Thus

physiological 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

Summary

Course Status :	Completed
Course Type :	Elective
Language for course content :	English
Duration :	12 weeks
Category :	Biological Sciences & Bioengineering
Credit Points :	4
Level :	Undergraduate
Start Date :	15 Jul 2019
End Date :	30 Sep 2019
Enrollment Ends :	10 Sep 2019
Exam Date :	09 Nov 2019 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.

Page Visits

Course layout

Week - IV | 14. Systematic Position of Mulberry and Non Mulberry Silkworms | 15. Silkworm Growth & Metamorphosis

16. Popular Silkworm Breeds |

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 |

Books and references

Reading material	Author	Type of publication (article/notes)	Content Abstract	Number of pages
Introduction to Sericulture. Oxford and IBH Pub. Co. Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, p	Ganga, G. and Sulochana Chetty, J. (2010)	Text Book	Origin and history of sericulture, central Silk board, mulberry sericulture, morphology and anatomy and physiology of Bombyx mori, silkworm rearing etc.,	302
Silkworm Rearing Technology, Central Silk Board, Bangalore	Dr. R. K. Rajan & Dr. M. T. Himantharaj	Text Book	Planning for silkworm rearing, incubation of silkworm eggs mounting and harvesting etc.,	163
Insect Biochemistry, Widsom Press, New Delhi	Chinmoy Goswami and Abha Bhardwaj	Text Book	Biochemistry of digestive system, respiration in insect etc.	345
A text book of Entomology	R. Mathur	Text Book	Digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, excretory system, reproductive system, nervous system, the glands of secretion of insects, etc.	372
Development Physiology of Silkworms (translation of second Japanese edition) Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi	S. Morohoshi	Text Book	Endocrine organs of insects, Developmental physiology of silkworms etc.	287
Advances in Mulberry Sericulture, CVG Publications, Bangalore	M. C. Devaiah, K. C. Narayanaswamy and V. G. Maribashetty	Text Book	Mulberry and silkworm nutrition etc.	579

Instructor bio

I Dr. M. N. Anil Kumar, Principal Investigator for Biology of the silkworm, Bombyx mori course under Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) currently work as Assistant Professor in the Department of Studies in Sericulture Science, University of Mysore, obtained Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Mysore, Mysuru. My fields of specialisation are Silkworm Nutrition and Biochemistry. I have more than 20 years of teaching and 10 years of research experience.

I have guided more than 20 M.Sc. students for their project work. Presently, two students are working for their Ph.D program in Sericulture. I have also participated and presented more than 40 papers in both national and international Conferences / Seminars / Workshops. I holds membership in academic bodies like Indian Science Congress, Kolkata, Swadeshi Vigyan Andolana – Karnataka, Bengaluru. I have more than 10 research publications to my credit in the journals of national and international repute. I have also associated in the development of curricula for undergraduate and post graduate courses in Sericulture. I have been serving as an external examiner in Sericulture in different universities.