See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/340770137

Silkworm and Silk

Presentation · September 2015

CITATIONS READS

0 1,336

1 author:

Nilanjan Roychoudhury
Tropical Forest Research Institute
592 PUBLICATIONS 862 CITATIONS

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Nilanjan Roychoudhury on 30 May 2020.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

SILKWORM AND SILK
by

N. Roychoudhury
Scientist G
Forest Entomology Division
Tropical Forest Research Institute
Jabalpur-482021 (M.P.)
 Introduction
 Sericulture is the art of rearing silkworms for the
production of cocoon which is the raw material of silk.
 Sericulture is the agro-forest based cottage industry,
capable of generating substantial and gainful employment
in the rural / forest areas.
 It deals with host-plant cultivation, rearing of silkworm,
production of silkworm seeds and commercial cocoons.
 The silk industry comprises the production of raw silk.
 So, the industry has got two distinct phases – one is
sericulture proper and the other is raw silk industry.
SERICULTURE
 Silk (L. sericum-silk, Gr. Serikos-Chinese, silkworm), is the
only natural fibre, made of proteins (fibroin coated with
sericin), considered as “gift of nature”, produced by the
larvae of sericigenous insects.
 Silk “the Queen of Textiles” is reigning for last 5000 years.
 Silk is remarkably durable fabric, yet fine and subtle to the
touch.
 Silk obtained from the insects are commonly known as
silkworms, which spin cocoons with continuous silk
filaments exuded through their mouth parts out of the silk
glands inside their body.
 Silk threads play a pivotal role in the life of caterpillars.
 Origin of silkworm
 According to some authors, China is the original home
of sericulture but others believe that silk production
was in existence in India even when China discovered
it in her own country.
 In old Indian scriptures like the Rigveda, the
Manusmriti, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata,
references of silk, silk clothes and garments made of
silk are available.
 Mulberry silkworms Non-mulberry silkworms
(Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Bombyx spp. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Wild B. mandarina Domesticated B. mori

Tasar silkworms Muga silkworm Eri silkworm

Antheraea spp. Antheraea assama Samia ricini

Tropical tasar silkworm Temperate tasar silkworms (Oak tasar silkworms)

Wild Reared
A. paphia A. mylitta

America Japan China India

A. polyphamus A. yammamai A. perni A. proylei (A. perni x A. roylei)
 Kinds of silk
 India is the natural abode of a large number of sericigenous
insects, which produces different types of silk.
 More than 160 species of silkworms have so far been recorded.
 The humid and dense forests of India are most suitable habitat
for large number of silk producing insects.
 There are four kinds of silk of commercial importance, viz.
mulberry silk produced by Bombyx mori (L.) (Lepidoptera :
Bombycidae),
 tasar silk (tropical and temperate) and muga silk produced by
Antheraea spp., (Lepidoptera : Saturaniidae), and
 eri silk produced by Samia ricini Boisduval (Lepidoptera :
Saturaniidae).
 Silk production
 In regard to silk production in the world, China occupies
first position -1,46,000 MT
 India is the Second largest producer of silk in the World.
 Among the four varieties of silk produced, in 2014-15,
Mulberry accounts for 74.51% (21,390 MT), Tasar 8.48%
(2,434 MT), Eri 16.46% (4,726 MT) and Muga 0.55%
(158 MT) of the total raw silk production of 28708 MT.
Export potential-970 crores.
 Uzbekistan occupies third position-1100 MT
 Wild mulberry silkworm
 It is believed that the domesticated variety of silkworm,
Bombyx mori has been originated from Bombyx mandarina
(Moore) (Lepidoptera : Bombycidae).
 It is an indigenous wild mulberry silkworm widely distributed
in the eastern Himalayas.
 B. mandarina probably originated in China, with the
chromosome number 27n, is regarded as the ancestor from
whom Bombyx mori with chromosome number 28n originated.
 The evolutionary significance is attributed to the breakage of a
chromosome of mandarina in the process of evolution and
under conditions of domestication has lost many of its old
characteristics.
Wild mulberry silkworm, B. mandarina
Wild mulberry silkworm, B. mandarina
Roychoudhury, N. (2008). Bombyx mandarina Moore : an endangered Indian species.
Indian Silk 47(3) : 16-17.
The wild mulberry silkworm, B. mandarina, is an endangered Indian species as per
International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) red list
and Schedule II of Wild Life Protection Act of India.
Mulberry silk
 The mulberry silk is obtained from silkworm, Bombyx mori
(Linn.) (Lepidoptera : Bombycidae) and its races which feed
primarily on mulberry leaves, Morus spp. (family Moraceae),
viz. M. alba (white mulberry), M. nigra (black mulberry), M.
rubra (red mulberry), M. tartarica (Russian mulberry) and M.
indica (Indian mulberry).
 Silk is shiny, creamy white in colour.
 The mulberry silkworms are completely domesticated.
 After hatching of the worms from the eggs they are fed and
reared indoors and its distribution is world-wide.
 Amongst all the varieties of silk, mulberry silk is the most
important variety and highly prized and its production is the
highest.
Bombyx mori (Linn.)
Life cycle of silkworm, Bombyx mori
Mulberry plant, Morus alba Linn. (family Moraceae)
Early stage rearing of B. mori, Chawki rearing
Late stage rearing of B. mori
Late stage rearing of B. mori
MulberrySpinning
silkwormin and its cocoons
B. mori
Cocoon formation in B. mori
Cocoon formation in B. mori
Cocoons of B. mori
Cocoons of B. mori
Emergence of B. mori
 Rearing of B. mori in different larval spacing
Field recommendations :
Wider spacing improves quality and quantity of bivoltine silkworm rearing.
Improvement of bivoltine rearing through enrichment of mulberry leaves by
commercial sugar.
Sericulture in agroforestry
 Concept of Vanya Silk
 The idea of wild silk culture in a new dimension was first mooted
by International Society for Wild Silk Moths in 1988 during the
18th International Congress of Entomology, held in Vancouver,
Canada.
 Wild silk culture in India now being popularized as “Vanya Silk”,
a concept of recent origin developed during the year 2003 by the
joint venture of CSB, Bangalore and ICFRE, Dehradun.
 It was in the recent past that this tradition assumed importance
and attracted attention at national level.
 Today “Vanya Silk” has become a medium for the transformation
of the rural economy in the country. The industry has rich natural
resources and manpower and the challenge to utilize these to
bring about balanced development without disturbing the forest
ecology, traditional culture and way of life of the forest dwellers
as primary producers.
 Wild silkworms and commercial exploitation

 The global production of wild silk is dependent on the genus

Antheraea (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae) that comprises of 35
species, out of which only three species, viz., tropical tasar
silkworm, A. mylitta, temperate tasar silkworm, A. proylei and
muga silkworm, A. assama are commercially exploited for wild
silk production in India.
 Besides these, eri silkworm, Samia ricini, a wild silkmoth
species is also used commercially in India.
 Except eri silkworm, the rest of the three wild silkworms are
reared outdoors usually on nature grown plants.

Roychoudhury, N. (2006). Sericulture in forestry – Vanya Silk. Vaniki Sandesh

30(2) : 8-12.
 Tasar silk
 Tropical tasar silk :
 The Indian tropical tasar silk is produced in nature by caterpillars of
insect, Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae).
 This silkworm is commercially exploited at mass level for wild silk
production in India by aboriginals residing in the central plateau
mainly Jharkhand, Bihar, CG, MP, Orissa, WB, UP, AP and MS.
 This insect has a long list of 20 host plants but reared mostly on sal
(Shorea robusta Roxb.), arjun (Terminalia arjuna Bedd.) and asan
(T. tomentosa W. & A.), in the natural forests or plants
systematically developed in degraded forest areas.
 Tropical tasar growing states and districts of India
State Districts
Andhra Pradesh Adilabad, karimnagar, Warangal
Bihar Banka, Rohtas
Chhattisgarh Ambikapur, Bastar, Bilaspur, Champa, Kawardha,
Korba, Raigarh, Sarguja
Jharkhand Bokaro, Deoghar, Dhanbad, Dumka, Giridih,
Godda, Hazaribag, Lohardaga, Palamau, Ranchi,
Santhal Pargana, Sahebganj, West Singhbhum
Madhya Pradesh Seoni, Balaghat, Mandla
Maharashtra Bhandara, Chandrapur
Orissa Balasore, Cuttack, Dhenkanal Keonjhar,
Mmayurbhanj, Sundergarh
Uttar Pradesh Chandausi, Mirzapur and Sonebhadra
West Bengal Birbhum, Midnapur, Purulia
 Food plants of tropical tasar silkworm, A. mylitta
Food plant Family Common name Geographical distribution
Primary food plants
Shorea robusta Roxb. Dipterocarpacea Sal Throughout tropics and sub-tropics
Terminalia arjuna Bedd. Combretaceae Arujan Central and eastern India
Terminalia tomentosa W.& A. Combretaceae Asan North India up to Nepal
Secondary food plants
Anogeissus latifolia Wall. Combretaceae Dhaunta India
Bauhinia varigata Linn. Caesalpiniaceae Kachnar India and China
Bombax ceiba Linn. Bombacaceae Semul Asia and Australia
Careya arborea Roxb. Lecythidaceae Kumbi India
Hardwickia binata Roxb. Fabaceae Anjan Tropics particularly Africa and
western Peninsular India, Pakistan
Lagerstroemia indica Linn. Lythraceae Saoni India, Afghanistan, Burma
L. parviflora Roxb. Lythraceae Sidha Western Himalaya and south Indo-
Gangetic plain
L. speciosa Pers. Lythraceae Jarul India, Nepal
Madhuca latifolia (Roxb.) Sapotaceae Mahua India
Shorea talura Roxb. Dipterocarpaceae Talura India, Pakistan
Syzygium cumini Linn. Myrtaceae Jamun India, Pakistan
Tectona grandis Linn. F. Verbenaceae Teak Throughout tropics and sub-tropics
Trminalia belerica Gaertn. Combretaceae Bahera India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka
T. catappa Linn. Combretaceae Jangali badam Nepal, Japan
T. chebula Retz. Combretaceae Haritaki Pakistan
T. paniculata Roth. Combretaceae Kinjal Pakistan
Zizyphus mauritiana Lam. Combretaceae Ber India, Afghanistan, China
 Food plants of tropical tasar silkworm
Food plants
Primary Shorea robusta, Teriminalia arjuna and T.
totomentosa
Secondary Anogeissus latifolia, Bombax malabaricum,
Bauhinia varigata, Careya arborea,
Eugenia jambolana, Hardwickia binata,
Lagerstroemia indica, L. parviflora,
L. speciosa, Madhuca indica,
Shorea tailura, Syzygium cumini,
Tectona grandis, T. catappa,
T. chebula, T. paniculata and
Zizyphus mauritiana
Eeco-races of tropical tasar silkworm in India
State Locality Eco-race
Andhra Pradesh Marim Nagar, Warangal, Adilabad, Rangareddi Andhra
Assam Boko, Hahim Boko
Bihar Singhbhum Daba
Bihar Hazaribag, Sim Libra
Bihar Simdega Barharwa
Bihar Dhanbad Modia
Bihar Palamu Kowa, Japla
Chhattisgarh Kurudh Kurudh
Chhattisgarh Jagdalpur Raily*
Chhattisgarh Bhopal Patham Bhopal Patham
Chhattisgarh Dasamkhella Suki
Chhattisgarh Korba Korba
Chhattisgarh Bastar Janghbir
Dadar and Nagar Haveli Dadar and Nagar Haveli Dadar
Jharkhand Santhal Pargana Munga, Srihan, Mugia
Jharkhand Ranchi Palma, Lodhma
Jammu and kashmir Batote, Palampur Shivatika
Karnataka Belgaum Belgaum
Madhya Pradesh Multai Multai
Madhya Pradesh Mandla Mandla
Madhya Pradesh Jhabua Jhabua
Madhya Pradesh Piprai Piprai
Madhya Pradesh Seoni Seoni
Maharashtra Bhandara, Chandrapur Bhandara
Meghalaya Medipathor, Resubelpara Medipathor
Manipur Jiribam Jiribam
Nagaland Dimapur Dimapur
Orissa Simlipal Modal*
Orissa Mayurbhanja, Keonjhar, Sundargarh Deba, Nalia*
Orissa Sukinda Sukinda
Orissa Kandhamala Boudh
Orissa Kalahandi Omarkoti
Rajasthan Sahabad Tesera
Uttar Pradesh Damarua Monga
Uttar Pradesh Mirzapur Mirzapur
Uttar Pradesh Sultanpur Sultanpur
West Bengal Purulia, Bankura Tira, Murga
West Bengal Bankura Bankura
Eco-races of tropical tasar silkworm in central India
State Eco-race
Orissa Modal*, Nalia*, Daba, Sukinda, Boudh, Omarkati
C.G. Raily*, Janghbir, Kurudh, Korba, Suki, Bhopalpatham
M.P. Mandla, Seoni, Piprai, Jhabua, Multai
M.S. Bhandara
*Wild eco-race.
Antheraea paphia Linn.

Antheraea mylitta Drury

 Tasar plantation

Tropical tasar moths, A. paphia

 Larva of A. mylitta
Larva of A. paphia
Cocoons of tropical
tasar silkwormCocoons of A. mylitta
Cocoon of A. paphia Cocoon of A. mylitta
Harvesting of cocoons of A. mylitta
 Cocoon of A. mylitta

Cocoons of A. mylitta

Cocoon of A. paphia
 Data on quantitative and qualitative analysis of Raily cocoons in
respect of different localities of Bastar, Chhattisgarh
Locality Cocoon Shell Volume of Silk Filament Denier Reelability
weight weight(g) cocoons (cc) weight length
(g) (g) (m)
Darbha 15.76 2.91 39.10 1.64 1202 12.28 71.68
Tokapal 11.16 1.94 29.90 1.28 921 12.50 70.13
Geedam 15.58 3.10 26.00 1.16 746 12.56 68.17
Sukma 12.32 2.38 30.20 1.15 852 11.52 63.06
Kondagaon 16.07 2.75 29.10 1.52 1112 12.42 67.06
Pharasgaon 13.32 2.40 23.00 1.32 870 9.74 72.67
Keskal 9.80 1.99 19.80 1.07 900 11.01 68.16
Mardapal 15.29 2.89 27.30 1.38 898 13.31 60.79
Chotendonger 13.71 2.82 29.20 1.37 920 13.48 63.95
Dhawadi 14.33 2.65 27.50 1.29 858 13.06 65.01
Nangoor 16.38 3.19 33.50 1.67 1151 13.26 65.68
Lohandiguda 10.77 1.78 22.50 1.20 1022 10.45 78.09
C.D. at 1% 1.87 0.543 5.100 0.234 178.191 0.412 NS
Income generation by rearing of tropical tasar silkworm, A. mylitta,
in Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve, Lormi, C.G.

Year Crop Dfls* Days Cocoons Total Income

/dfls income /day
(Rs.) (Rs.)
2005-06 I 1500 37 42 4666 126
II 1500 42 41 4622 110
2006-07 I 1500 36 38 4138 115
II 2000 43 84 13817 321

Roychoudhury, N. (2011). Tropical tasar silk : a potential NTFP for forest dwellers
of central India. Indian Forester 137(11) : 1280-1288.
Roychoudhury, N. (2012). Vanya silk : a potential NWFP for forest dwellers. In :
Non-timber Forest Products and Medicinal Plants - Conservation, Improvement and
Sustainable Utilization (Eds. S. Singh and R. Das), pp. 215-224, Institute of Forest
Productivity, Ranchi, Jharkhand.
 Temperate tasar silk : The Indian temperate tasar silk is
produced in nature by caterpillars of insect, Antheraea
proylei (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae).
 Introduction of this new silkworm, A. proylei on oak
specially on the leaves of Quercus serrata in eastern
Himalaya and temperate forest has added a new chapter in
the development of an agro-based silk industry in the
country.
 A. proylei is the successful development of the fertile hybrid
species through inter-specific hybridization between an
exogenous species, A. pernyi of China and an indigenous
species, A. roylei.
Temperate tasar silkworm,
Antheraea proylei
 Muga silk
 Muga silk is produced in nature by caterpillar of an insect,
Antheraea assama Helfer (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae).
 The muga worms are wild in nature.
 The silkworm is native of Assam and named after Assamese
word “muga” which indicates amber brown colour of cocoon.
 A. assama is an endemic species prevalent in the Brahmaputra
valley and adjoining hills.
 It is multivoltine in nature and polyphagous in habit, which feeds
on Som (Michilus bombycina), Chamoa (Michelia champaka),
Solau (Litsea polyantha), Hualu (Tetranthera monopetala),
Mejankori (Litsaea citrate), Digholti (Litsaea salicifolia) and few
other trees.
 By virtue of the narrow ecological distribution of host food plant,
A. assama is confined to only Assam state of India.
Muga silkworm, Antheraea assama and its host plant
Muga silk moths,
Antheraea assama
 Eri silk
 Eri silk is produced in nature by caterpillar of an insect,
Samia ricini Boisduval (Lepidoptera : Saturniidae).
 This silkworm is commercially exploited at mass level for
wild silk production in India by aboriginals residing in north-
eastern states mainly Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Prdaesh,
Nagaland and Manipur, extending to West Bengal, Bihar,
Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.
 It is multivoltine in nature.
 Recently, eri silk culture has also been introduced in Uttar
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.
Host plants of eri silkworm
 Primary food plant: Ricinus communis
 Secondary food plants:
 Ailanthus altissima, A. excelsa, A. grandis, A.
integrifolia and A. malabarica
 Carica papaya
 Evodia fraxinifolia
 Heteropanax fragrans
 Jatropha curcas
 Manihot utilissima
 Plumeria rubra and Plumeria acutifolia
 Sapium spp.
Castor, Ricinus communis Tapioca, Manihot utilissima

Mahaneem, Ailanthus excelsa Barpat, Ailanthus grandis

Food plants of eri silk worm
Eri silk worm rearing
Eri silk worm rearing
Eri silk worm larva
Eri silk worm cocoons
 Eri silk moth, S. cynthia
Roychoudhury, N. (2007). Introduction of eri silkworm culture in Achanakmar-
Amarkantak biosphere reserve to uplift economic status of forest inhabitants. In :
Research needs for Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve (Eds. K.C. Joshi and
A.K. Mandal), pp. 107-114, Tropical Forest Research Institute, Jabalpur.
Wild eri silkworm, Attacus ricini Boisd. (Lepidoptera: Saturinidae)
Atlas moth, Attacus atlas (Linn.) (Lepidoptera: Saturinidae)
Silk saree - Designs speak
Diversified designs Silk sarees A touch of tradition
 Silkworm as human food
 Silkworm prepupae/pupae provide a source of human
food.
 Their nutritional values are astonishingly high,
containing large quantities of proteins, carbohydrates,
fats and vitamins.

Roychoudhury, N. (1993). Silkworm pupae as human food. Indian Silk 34(3) : 3-4.
Boiled and fried pupae
Fried prepupae with red chilli

Prepupae and pupae

embedded cake
 Concluding remark
 Sericulture has vast potential in India and there is wide
scope for improvement in quality and quantity of silk yield.
 Appropriate knowledge about the culture, planting
techniques of its host plants, silkworm breeding, rearing,
seed production including post cocoon technology and their
sustainable management can enhance productivity and
concomitant improvement in terms of quantity and quality
of silk production of the country and economy of silkworm
rearers.
View publication stats