Glutamate-gated chloride channels (GluCls) mediate fast inhibitory neurotransmission in invertebrate nervous systems. Insect GluCls show alternative splicing, and, to determine its impact on channel function and pharmacology, we isolated GluCl cDNAs from larvae of the silkworm (Bombyx mori). We show that six B. mori glutamategated chloride channel variants are generated by splicing in exons 3 and 9 and that exons 3b and 3c are common in the brain and third thoracic ganglion. When expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, the three functional exon 3 variants (3a, b, c) all had similar EC 50 values for L-glutamate and ivermectin (IVM); however, I max (the maximum L-glutamate-and IVM-induced response of the channels at saturating concentrations) differed strikingly between variants, with the 3c variant showing the largest L-glutamate-and IVM-induced responses. By contrast, a partial deletion detected in exon 9 had a much smaller impact on L-glutamate and IVM actions. Binding assays using [ Modeling the GluCl 3a and 3c variants suggested that three of the four amino acids contribute to intersubunit contacts, whereas the other interacts with the TM2-TM3 linker, influencing the receptor response.