Comparative Study on the Larval Development Duration of 51 Different Peanut Cocoon Strains of Iran Silkworm Bombyx mori (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) Gene Bank

The present study aims at shedding more light to larval duration and development of silkworm lines from Iranian silkworm gene bank and comparison of the results using statistical models for selection of the superior strains. Feeding and other conditions of larval rearing were conducted following the standard procedure and all germplasm strains were reared under standards protocols in all rearing steps. From obtained results, it is showed that the larval duration of the 101 (608.000 h), 5118x10133-3-3 (588.670 h), 307-300-2(584.000 h), 105 (584.000 h) and 31 (584.000 h) strains remained significantly at upper level than other strains, respectively. The feeding larval duration in B2-09 (574.000 h), N19 (533.000 h), 1433-9 (525.000 h), BH-2 (517.330 h) and 1433-15 (511.330 h) strains increased significantly in comparison with other strains. Molting larval duration remained significantly at upper level in I 20 (197.670 h), 107-K (113.000 h), Black Larvae-White Cocoon (104.000 h), 101(104.000 h) and Shaki (103.000 h) increased significantly in comparison with other strains. From obtained results, it is showed the 1-3 instars larval duration of the Black-White (292.670 h), 101 (290.000 h), 1003-5 (288.670 h), 101xF6 (286.000 h) and 31 (286.000 h) strains remained significantly at upper level than other strains, respectively. Totally, 7409 (577.881), Black Larvae-White Cocoon (577.508), 236 (570.769), M-1-2(5) (568.583) and T5-M (566.602) showed higher evaluation index values. Also, 7409 (5.374), 236 (5.267), T5-M (5.183), 113-K (5.163) and White Larvae-Yellow Cocoon (5.027) showed higher sub-ordinate function values.