Impact of seasonal adult emergence period on reproductive performance of tasar silkmoth Antherea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturnidae)

Abstract

Influence of adult emergence period and prevailing weather parameters on reproductive biology of tasar silkmoth Antherea mylitta was studied under grainage (indoor) condition. There was a significant difference of fecundity was observed on different days of adult emergence. Maximum fecundity was observed on 10th day (219 eggs/female) during first grainage (diapause cocoons) while same has been observed on 13th day (224.30 eggs/female) of emergence during second grainage (nondiapause cocoons). With respect to hatching percentage, during first grainage maximum hatching was observed on 1st, 6th, 7th and 12th days of emergence (93.32, 90.14, 90.96 and 90.18 % respectively). In the case of second grainage maximum hatching was on 12th and 2nd day of emergence. Data on per cent egg retention during first grainage ranged between 6.46 to 29.25 % and it was between 6.49 to 14.39 % during second grainage. Retained eggs were unfertile and could observe less than 2 % of hatching across all the days of emergence in first and second grainage together. Despite of significant difference in the reproductive parameters it was not clear about which phase or days of seasonal emergence period yields better layings. Better reproductive performance was scattered randomly across the days of emergence and it also indicates that adult emergence period don’t have any influence over reproductive biology of A. mylitta. Prevailing temperature and relative humidity during emergence period found to have no major influence over fecundity, hatching percentage and egg retention.