Differential Count of Haemocyte from the Haemolymph of Muga Silkworm (Antheraea assamensis H.) reared on the host plant

Abstract

Five types of circulating haemocytes have been identified from the haemolymph of 5th instar larvae of the Muga Silkworm (Antheraea assamensis) reared on Som leaves (Machilus bombycina) at Govt. Basic Muga Seed Farm, Khanapara, Assam, India. Haemocytes were identified by means of light microscopy as prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes, granulocytes, spherulocytes and oenocytoids. Differential count of haemocyte from the haemolymph of fifth-instar larvae of Muga Silkworm were also studied and calculated. Among them, prohaemocytes were found to be the most abundant cell types in the haemolymph, whereas spherulocytes the rarest.