🐛 Life Cycle of Antheraea mylitta (Tasar Silkworm)

"Life cycle of Antheraea mylitta (Tasar Silkworm) showing four stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult moth – each in different colored circles with labels and descriptions"

Antheraea mylitta, commonly known as the Tasar silkworm, is a wild silkworm species native to India. It is a member of the family Saturniidae and produces Tasar silk, one of the finest varieties of wild silk. Unlike mulberry silkworms (Bombyx mori), Antheraea mylitta is semi-domesticated and reared outdoors on host trees.

The life cycle of Antheraea mylitta involves complete metamorphosis through four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult moth. This species is generally univoltine or bivoltine, depending on the ecological region.

🥚 1. Egg Stage: The female Tasar moths lay 150 to 200 eggs on the undersides of host plant leaves. Eggs of Tasar are round, flat, and creamy-white and adhere firmly to the leaf surface. The incubation period ranges from 7 to 10 days, depending on temperature and humidity. Upon hatching, tiny black larvae emerge and begin feeding on the host plant leaves.

Host Plants:

Terminalia arjuna (Arjun)

Terminalia tomentosa (Asan)

Shorea robusta (Sal)

🐛 2. Larval Stage: The larval stage lasts for 30–35 days and consists of five instars. Young larvae are blackish and become greenish-brown with white markings as they mature. Larvae feed on host tree leaves and grow significantly in size during this period. The final instar larva becomes plump, hairy, and active, preparing to spin a cocoon. The larva has a robust body with tubercles and bristles. This is the silk-producing stage, where silk is secreted from modified salivary glands.

🧵 3. Pupal Stage (Cocoon Formation): The mature larva descends or moves to a secure branch to spin a hard, oval cocoon using coarse brown silk fibers. The cocoon is single-shelled, non-mulberry type, and firmly attached to the host tree. Pupation lasts for 20–30 days, though it can enter diapause in some regions, prolonging the duration. The cocoon is pierced naturally by the emerging moth, making Tasar silk suitable for spun silk, not reeled silk. For silk production, some cocoons are stifled (heat-treated) before moth emergence to preserve the silk thread.

🦋 4. Adult Moth Stage: The adult Antheraea mylitta moth is large, reddish-brown, with a wingspan of 12–15 cm. It features distinct eye spots on both forewings and hindwings—a key defense mechanism. Moths do not feed and survive only for 4–5 days, focusing entirely on mating and egg-laying. After mating, females lay eggs on host plants, thus restarting the life cycle.

🔁 Voltinism (No. of Generations Per Year)

Univoltine: One generation per year – common in Central and North India.

Bivoltine: Two generations – observed in some areas of Eastern India.

Seasonal rearing is done according to the availability of host plants and climatic suitability.

📊 Summary Table: Life Cycle of Antheraea mylitta

Stage	Duration	Description
Egg	7–10 days	Creamy-white, laid on host plant leaves
Larva	30–35 days	Feeds on Arjun, Asan, or Sal leaves; passes through 5 instars
Pupa	20–30 days	Inside a hard, brown cocoon on trees
Adult Moth	4–5 days	Large reddish-brown moth with eye spots, non-feeding

🧠 Importance of Antheraea mylitta in Sericulture

Major producer of Tasar silk, a durable and eco-friendly fiber.
Vital to the livelihoods of tribal and rural communities in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, and West Bengal.
Promoted under non-mulberry sericulture schemes by the Central Silk Board of India.

📚 References

Ganga, G. & Sulochana, C. (1997). An Introduction to Sericulture. Oxford & IBH Publishing.
Srivastava, P.N. (2012). Textbook of Sericulture. Kalyani Publishers.
Central Silk Board India – https://csb.gov.in
FAO Sericulture Manual – http://www.fao.org
Jolly, M.S. (1987). Tasar Sericulture Manual. Central Tasar Research and Training Institute,