Comparative Rearing Performance of Borduar and Titabar Ecoraces of Eri Silkworm (Samia Ricini) in Different Crops

Abstract

Eri silkworm Samia ricini is a domestic Vanya silkworm, multivoltine, polyphagous in nature producing silk. Eri silkworm has several morphotypes having distinct morphological differences and is cultured in different north eastern states particularly in Assam. Twenty six different ecorace of eri silkworm were identified. Out of which two ecoraces viz., Borduar and Titabar were collected from Germplasm Bank of CMER&TI, Lahdoigarh. Borduar ecorace has four strains categorised based on larval body colour and marking pattern i.e. Yellow Plain (YP), Greenish Blue Plain (GBP), Greenish Blue Zebra (GBZ), Yellow Zebra (YZ), similarly, Titabar ecorace is having Yellow Plain (YP), Greenish Blue Plain (GBP) Greenish Blue Spotted (GBS), Yellow Spotted (YS). All these eight strains were isolated and reared separately for six crops