Phenotypic variability in the Tropical Tasar Silkworm, Antheraea mylitta

摘要

Antheraea mylitta D. (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) is a po-lyphagous sericigenous insect endemic to India. A total of 44 locally adopted eco-races of A. mylitta, distributed in the tropical region in India (12-31°N LAT and 72-96°E LONG) have been reported from India (Jolly et al. 1974). Among the eco-races, only DABA Bivoltine (BV) and DABA Tri-voltine (TV) are being reared extensively on Terminalia tomentosa and T. arjuna for the production of commercial silk cocoons by the tribal, women groups and rural populace in central India as a livelihood (Rathore et al. 2018). Diverse income sources through the production of cocoons, disease free laying (dn), silk reeling, weaving, designing, marketing, etc. entice rural youth towards tasar sericulture (Dewangan 2018).