Abstract
Antheraea frithi Moore, the source of wild tasar silk, is an indigenous wild silk moth of north-east India. The detailed life history, bionomics and rearing performance of A. frithi in relation to a newly reported food plant, Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) has been described in the present study. Life cycle of A. frithi has five larval instars. The first instar larva measures 1.98 ± 0.13 cm × 0.198 ± 0.010 cm in length and breadth and 0.0142 ± 0.002 g in weight while the fifth instar larva measures 6.98 ± 0.18 cm × 1.12 ± 0.13 cm in length and breadth and 4.76 ± 0.45 g in weight. Wing span of male and female is recorded as 11.4–13.5 and 13.0–14.7 cm respectively. The incubation period (6–7 days), larval duration (35–39 days), fecundity (162–176 eggs), hatching (78–81 %), effective rate of rearing (57–59 %) and cocoon yield (67–79 nos) has been recorded. The reelable cocoons with a filament length (mts) and filament denier (d) is 493–575 m and 4.6–5.3 respectively. The shell weight (g) of male and female cocoons measures as 0.19–0.39 and 0.2–0.6, respectively. The shell ratio (%) for male and female cocoons stands as 8.1–8.4 and 9.4–9.8 % respectively.
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The authors thankfully acknowledge the Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India for financial assistance through major research project sanctioned to Dr. B.C. Chutia. This manuscript has not any conflict of interest.
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Chutia, B.C., Nath, C., Goswami, L.M. et al. Life History of Antheraea frithi Moore, (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) on Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) W&A Syn. in North Eastern Region of India. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., India, Sect. B Biol. Sci. 86, 83–88 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-014-0411-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-014-0411-y