Analysis of variability in Hemolymph protein pattern in four populations of wild and semi-domestic ecoraces of Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)

Tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury is an important wild sericigenous insect species encountered diverse tropical ecological conditions in different eco-pockets and evolved as ecoraces with wide variations in phenotypic and behavioural characters. Four populations from two important ecoraces were analysed for variability in the pupal hemolymph electrophoretic protein pattern. The hemolymph from Daba wild and semi-domestic population as well as wild and reared populations of Laria ecorace was drawn and used for the study. Protein concentration was highly variable and significant (at p<0.05) between the different groups studied. Higher protein concentration was recorded in the hemolymph of Daba (wild) female pupae (235.3 ± 1.72 mg/ml) followed by Daba (Semi-domestic) female hemolymph (225.4 ± 3.04 mg/ml) was recorded. Variations observed in the number of protein bands in SDS-PAGE analysis of male and female pupal hemolymph of different populations. Appearance of 35 kDa Protein band was significant in the female hemolymph samples of all the populations. The protein bands 98 kDa (storage proteins in lepidopterons), 45 kDa, 43 kDa, 20 kDa and 14 kDa were found to be common in all the hemolymph samples. More number of protein bands was observed in the hemolymph samples of Daba between 20 kDa to 98 kDa compared to the samples of Laria populations. The greater variability in number of bands observed between 96 kDa to 99 kDa. This indicates high heterogeneity with respect to the food plant, region and also in sexual dimorphism.