Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

Тhe behavioral activity of such an extremely important agricultural object in scientific and practical terms as the silkworm still remains poorly studied.

Aims: Сreation of silkworm lines with alternative behaviors to prove the genetic determinacy of the behavioral activity of the silkworm Bombyx mori L.

Place and Duration of Study: The work was carried out at the Research Institute of Sericulture in the Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding of the silkworm in 2015-2020. The Ipakchi 1 and Ipakchi 2 breeds widely zoned in Uzbekistan were used as research objects.

Methodology and Results: The Ipakchi 1 and Ipakchi 2 breeds widely zoned in Uzbekistan were used as research objects. The breeding of alternative silkworm lines in terms of motor activity was carried out by selecting the most active caterpillars and male butterflies in the "A" -lines (active), and the least active individuals in the "P"-lines (passive). The separation of individuals by motor activity led to their separation by reproductive and biological indicators. The difference between the lines by the average number of eggs in the clutch of the Ipakchi 1 breed in 2018 was 32 eggs, in 2020 already 133 eggs; by the mass of the clutch in 2018 – 25mg, in 2020 – 78mg. The same patterns were observed in the Ipakchi 2 breed. The greatest difference between the "A" and "P" lines was observed in the viability of caterpillars: in 2018 it was 3.2%, in 2020 already 6.9%.

Conclusions: Selection of hatched larvae (caterpillars) and male butterflies by the speed of movement to the feed (the larvae) and to the sexual partner (butterflies) leads to the appearance of silkworm lines with alternative forms of motor activity.