EFFECT OF THRIPS (PSUDODENDROTHRIPS MORI NIWA) INFESTED MULBERRY LEAVES ON BIOCHEMICAL AND ECONOMIC PARAMETERS OF SILKWORM, Bombyx mori L.

Mulberry, (Morus alba L.) leaves are the predominant food source for silkworm, Bombyx mori L. that has been attacked by number of insect pests and pathogens. Among the sucking pests, thrips, (Pseudodendrothrips mori Niva) is a dominant pest causing enormous damages to mulberry leaves. Rearing of silkworm with thrips infected mulberry leaves affects growth, development and causes to reduce silk production. The present study deals with silkworm larvae fed with thrips infested mulberry leaves on biochemical and economic parameters. The biochemical parameters such as protein, lipid, carbohydrate and glycogen content, were studied in tissues of larvae like haemolymph, silkgland and fatbodies. The result showed that there was decreased in protein, lipid, carbohydrate, glycogen contents, when the larvae fed with thrips infested mulberry leaves than control. Maximum decrease (-53.80%) was noticed in the lipid content. There was also decreased in the economic characters such as cocoon weight (-20.26%), shell weight (-43.75%), shell ratio (-7.48%), filament length (- 30.19%), reliability (-29.28%) and denier (-25.22%)due to feeding of thrips infested mulberry leaves when compared to control.