TYPES OF

SILK
Dr. B. Kanagaraj
Assistant Professor
Entomology
MULBERRY SILK - Bombyx mori L
 NON MULBERRY SILK

Tasar silk

Antheraea mylitta Feeds on Terminalia tomentosa and

reared in India
Antheraea proylea Feeds on Oak leaves and reared in
India
Antheraea yamamai Feeds on Arjun, Sal, Oak, and Plum,
reared in Japan (Green silk thread)
 Cocoons are yellow,
light yellow, purple,
brown, gray in
color.

Cocoons are big in size and weight about 7-14

grams with a peduncle and reeled to get 1000-1200 meters
of fiber.
 NON MULBERRY SILK

Eri silk

Samia cynthia ricini / Philosamia ricini

P. ricini (also called as castor silkworm)
Produce a white or brick-red silk
 NON MULBERRY SILK

Muga silk

Antheraea assamensis
These are found only in the state of Assam, India
Feed on Machilus bombycina (Som) and Litsaea
polyantha (Soalu) leaves
 Anaphe silk

•Anaphe: A. moloneyi Druce, A. panda Boisduval, A.

reticulate Walker, A. ambrizia Butler, A. carteri
Walsingham, etc.,
•The silk obtained from A. infracta - "book",
• A. moleneyi as "Trisnian-tsamia" and "koko" (Tt)
• Anaphe silk is used, for example, in velvet and plush.
 Fagara silk

•Fagara silk is obtained from the giant silk moth Attacus

atlas L.

•They spin light-brown cocoons

nearly 6 cm long with peduncles of
varying lengths (2-10 cm).
 Coan silk

Pachypasa otus
Feed primarily on trees
such as pine, ash cypress and
oak.
They spin white cocoons
measuring about 8.9 x 7.6 cm.
 Mussel silk

•Pinna squamosa
•Popularly known as “fish wool”.
•Its production is largely confined to Taranto, Italy.
 Spider silk

•Non-insect variety - soft and fine, but also strong and

elastic.
•The commercial production - Nephila
madagascarensis, Miranda aurentia and Epeira.
•Because of the high cost of production, spider silk is
not used in the textile industry;
•Durability and resistance to extreme temperature and
humidity make it indispensable for cross hairs in optical
instruments.
 Mulberry silkworm – Origin

•Xilingji (Hsi-ling-chi), wife of China’s 3rd Emperor,

Huangdi (Hoang-Ti), in 2640 B.C.
 •7th century AD - Mediterranean countries and then to
Africa, Spain and Sicily.
•19th century - modern machinery, improved techniques
and intensive research helped the growth of sericulture
industry in Japan.
•At present, Japan, China, Korea, Italy, Soviet Union,
France, Brazil and India are the chief silk producing countries
in the World.
 Classification based on geographic distribution

Japanese race
•Fecundity is higher ranging from 600-700.
•The larvae is very active & leaf cocoon ratio is less.
•Larval body size is small - 26 days (Marked)
•Cocoon is pea nut shaped and white in colour.
•Double cocoons are more & quality of silk is better.
•Larvae are susceptible to grasserie and flacherrie.
•There are Uni and Bivoltines races in this group.
Chinese race
•Fecundity rate is higher – 600 to 650 eggs.
•Larval growth is quick & leaf cocoon ratio is less.
•Larvae are plain without any markings.
•Cocoon - round/elliptical/spindle shaped.
•The Cocoon colour is white, golden yellow, flesh or red.
•The Silk filament is fine & reelability is good.
•Resistant to high temperature & humidity.
•Uni, Bi, Multivoltines and trimoulters are also noticed.
European races
•The fecundity rate is medium ranging from 550- 600.
•The larval stage is long and are plain without any markings.
•The cocoons are big, long elliptical.
•Cocoons are either white/flesh colored.
•The % of double cocoons is less.
•The filament length is long with good reelability.
•Weak against high temperature & humidity.
•All are Univoltines.
Indian races (tropical)
•The fecundity rate is lower ranging from 400-500.
•The larval length is short.
•Leaf cocoon ratio is high.
•The size of the larvae is small.
•Cocoon - spindle, flossy with less filament length.
•Cocoon colour - green/pink/yellow/white.
•Denier of the silk filament is fine.
•Resistant to varied environmental conditions.
•Multivoltines/polyvoltine races are very common.
Japanese race Chinese race European races

Indian races (tropical)

Voltinism - Ability of silkworm to produce one to several
generations in a year.

Univoltine races - ONE generation per year

The larval weight is higher and cocoons are heavy.
Denier of the silk filament is above 2.3.
Not suitable for summer & winter rearings.
They lay only diapausing eggs.
All European races are univoltines. e.g., E16
Bivoltine races - TWO generations per year.
The length of the larval stage is short.
The leaf cocoon ratio is less, and of inferior quality.
Cocoon weight, shell weight, silk % & filament length
lesser than univoltines.
Most of the temperate races are bivoltines and lays
both hibernating and non hibernating eggs. e.g., NB4D2,
NB18, KA, NB7, CSR races etc.,
 Races
• Races developed by CSR & TI, Mysore: NB7, NB18,
NB4D2, CSR2, CSR3, CSR4, CSR5, CSR6, CSR12, CSR16,
CSR17, CSR18 and CSR19.
• Races developed by RSRS, Kalimpong: KA
(Kalimpong).
• Races developed by KSSRDI, Bangalore: KSO1 and SP2
Multivoltine races - More than 5-6 generations per year.
•The length of the larval duration is short.
•Leaf cocoon ratio is high, cocoons are compact grained
and cocoon layer is soft.
•The length of the filament is short.
•The larvae are robust and can tolerate fluctuating
environmental conditions.
•They lay only non diapausing eggs. E.g., Pure Mysore, C.
nichi, Hosa Mysore.
 Race Region Cocoon characteristics

Nistari Bengal Golden yellow, soft, flossy cocoon, spindle type

Yellowish or creamish white, small flossy cocoon

Chotopolu Bengal

Creamish yellow, flossy, soft cocoon with one end

Pure
Karnataka pointed.
Mysore

(Originally bivoltine presently multivoltine )

C. nichi Karnataka White, dumb bell shaped cocoon

Light yellow to white, flossy cocoon with short

Nayapolu Assam filament length.
 Bivoltine race Multivoltine race
Eggs Diapausing or non Non diapausing eggs
diapausing

Egg production Loose egg production Flat card\ sheet method

Disease resistant Relatively poor Relatively disease resistant

Temperature Cannot tolerate beyond Can tolerate beyond 28⁰C

28⁰C
Life cycle Completes in 45-50 days Completes in 26-27 days
Preservation Up to 6-10 months More than 20 days
Eggs/gram 1500-1700 1800-2100
Shell ratio 20-25 12-14
Filament length 1000-2600 m/cocoon 400-500 m/cocoon
 Moultinism
Silkworm larvae cast off its old skin and develop new
skin and this process is known as Moultinism.
Each moulting period lasts for 15-30 hrs.
It is a hereditary character.
Physiological process - control of ecdysone hormone.
Based on number of moults the Bombyx mori can be of
tri-moulter, tetra-moulter and penta-moulters.
 Bivoltine hybrids
1. CSR 2 x CSR 4
2. CSR 2 x CSR 5
3. CSR 3 x CSR 6
4. CSR 12 x CSR 6
5. CSR 16 x CSR 17
Season - August to February
1. CSR 18 x CSR 19 (sex – limited, All seasons)
2. CSR 48 x CSR 4 (Thin denier hybrid)
3. KSO 1 x SP 2
4. Kalpatharu
5. Hemavathy (AP 55 x AP 54)
 Cross breeds (Multivoltine x Bivoltine)

 PM X NB4D2

 PM x CSR 2 - Highest pupation rate (97%) - All throughout

the year.
 BL23 X NB4D2 - for rainfed areas. High shell weight, high
silk content, long filament length and better neatness and
reelability.
 BL24 X NB4D2 - for irrigated areas - (by CSR&TI, Mysore).
 APM 1 x APS 8 – Swarnandhra - (2A-3A grade) by
APSSRDI.
 MH 1 x NB 4D2, PM X CN2- Developed by KSSRDI,
Bangalore for irrigated and rainfed areas.
 BL 43 X NB4D2- Kapila
 BL 67 X CSR 2 – Kaveri
 BL 67 x CSR 101 - Cauvery - A grade silk (by CSR&TI,
Mysore).
THANK YOU !!