Intra-Populational Variation Studies in Laria- Wild

Abstract- Laria is a wild ecorace of tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury and the adaptability of this ecorace mainly on Shorea robusta (Sal). It has high economic importance is noteworthy for its small size, robust with variable cocoon colour and has low filament denier. In nature, the voltinism of this ecorace is uni-, bi-, and trivoltine. In the present study, variability in the cocoon characters and biochemical parameters was assessed to analyze the degree of heterogeneity with in the natural population of Laria in relation to the cocoon colour. Differential amount in the cocoon traits, such as cocoon weight and shell ratio were recoded with significant variability at p<0.05 level. Protein and reducing sugar concentrations were recorded higher in whitish grey cocoons compared to the yellow colored cocoons. This would be highly warranted to study intra-population variability for the understanding of wild tasar silkworm ecoraces like Laria. The study also facilitates to harness the potentialities of Laria ecoraces to apply in breeding prospects. Index Terms- Laria, cocoon color, protein, reducing sugar