Effects of dietary fatty acids on wing formation, egg production, and hatchability of eggs in the silkworm, Bombyx mori L

• Published in: The Journal of Sericultural Science of Japan Vol. 39; no. 4; pp. 261 - 266
• Main Author: NAKASONE, Shoichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: The Japanese Society of Sericultural Science 1970
• ISSN: 0037-2455; 1884-796X
• DOI: 10.11416/kontyushigen1930.39.261

The larvae of the silkworm, Bombyx mori were reared during the 4th and 5th instars on synthetic diet, containing various kinds of fatty acids or those without them. Effects of dietary fatty acids on wing formation, egg production, and hatchability of eggs were determined. It was found that malformed wings were developed by the omission of polyunsaturated fatty acids from the complete diet. Malformed wings were also appeared by single addition of methyl palmitate, stearate or oleate to the diet. However, wings were developed normally by rearing on the diet containing either methyl linoleate or linolenate. Furthermore, numbers of eggs laid and produced by the moth obtained from deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acid were significantly smaller than those on the diet with the complete mixture of fatty acids. The hatchability of eggs laid by moth from deficiency of polyunsaturated fatty acids was conspicuously decreased, being accompanied with significant increase of dead embryo in embryonic stage before head pigmentation. These results indicate that the polyunsaturated fatty acids possess a very important role as nutritive factor for wing formation, egg production, and hatchability of eggs.