Muga silkworm, Antheraea assamensis (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) - an overview of distribution, biology and breeding

Amalendu Tikader,Kunjupillai Vijayan,Beera Saratchandra

doi:10.14411/eje.2013.096

Abstract

Muga silkworm (Antheraea assamensis Helfer) is endemic to Assam and adjoining areas in North-Eastern India, and naturally produces golden silk. From time immemorial, many ethnic and tribal groups have produced muga silk. Muga silkworms are mostly wild unlike the mulberry silkworm, which is completely domesticated. The muga silkworm is a single species with little genetic variation among populations, survives harsh climatic conditions and is subject to various diseases, pests and predators. Due to the high incidence of disease and natural enemies, and variations in climatic conditions, the production of muga silk has recently declined dramatically. In order to improve the productivity of this silkworm it is important to have a better knowledge of both its host plants and biology. Lack of knowledge of its genetics and host plants is a major bottleneck. This paper reviews various aspects of muga silkworm culture, including the availability of different populations, and methods used to select for improvement in survival, cocoon yield, disease resistance, conservation and egg production.

Highlights

Insects that are commercially used to produce silk are the mulberry silk moth (Bombyx mori) and non-mulberry silk moths (Antheraea spp. and Samia spp.)
A few of the above mentioned wild silkworms are recorded in surveys and by expeditions (Thangavelu & Borah, 1986; Thangavelu et al, 1987, 1988; Kakati & Chutia, 2009), it is necessary to carry out systematic documentation of these silk moths and their host plant preferences in order to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the improvement, conservation and sustainable utilization of these seri-genetic resources (Thangavelu, 1991; Tikader, 2001a, b, 2011, 2012)
This study revealed that the populations are highly polymorphic, which is associated with their being able to survive in the diverse climatic conditions prevailing in north-eastern India

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Insects that are commercially used to produce silk are the mulberry silk moth (Bombyx mori) and non-mulberry silk moths (Antheraea spp. and Samia spp.). A few of the above mentioned wild silkworms are recorded in surveys and by expeditions (Thangavelu & Borah, 1986; Thangavelu et al, 1987, 1988; Kakati & Chutia, 2009), it is necessary to carry out systematic documentation of these silk moths and their host plant preferences in order to formulate a comprehensive strategy for the improvement, conservation and sustainable utilization of these seri-genetic resources (Thangavelu, 1991; Tikader, 2001a, b, 2011, 2012) One of these silkworms needs special mention, it is the muga silkworm (A. assamensis), which produces golden silk and is endemic to Northeast India (Fig. 2). Though the wild silkworm sector of sericulture has recently become more important, much needs to be done to stop the current decline in the production of muga silk (Fig. 3; Tikader et al, 2011) In this context the leaves of tetraploid som plants provide a better food for rearing muga silk worm larvae, but this has not yet been exploited commercially at the farmer level (Gogoi et al, 2009). Muga silkworm is subject to viral, bacterial, fungal and protozoan diseases that result in heavy crop losses

Muscardine Fungus

Findings

CONCLUSION