| Antheraea paphia | |
|---|---|
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| Illustration of adult female (above) and male (below) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Saturniidae |
| Genus: | Antheraea |
| Species: | A. paphia
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| Binomial name | |
| Antheraea paphia | |
| Synonyms | |
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Antheraea paphia, known as the South India small tussore, the tasar silkworm and vanya silkworm[2] is a species of moth of the family Saturniidae found in India[3][4] and Sri Lanka.[5] The bulk of the literature on this species uses a junior synonym, Antheraea mylitta, rather than the correct name, A. paphia.[1] It is one of a number of tasar silkworms, species that produce Tussar silk, a kind of wild silk that is made from the products of saturniid silkworms instead of the domesticated silkworm (Bombyx mori).[6]
This species is variable, with at least 44 identified ecoraces, populations adapted to varied ecological conditions and food plants. Ten ecoraces are used for silk production and have been studied to obtain data about their life cycles and silk characteristics.[7][8] Some ecoraces are so well differentiated that they do not interbreed in nature, though they are not genetically distinct and can be bred in captivity.[3]
- ^ a b R.S. Peigler & S. Naumann (2016) What exactly is Antheraea paphia (Linnaeus, 1758)? (Lepidoptera, Saturnidae). Atalanta 47 (3/4): 500-520.
- ^ Kavane, R. P. (2014). Syzygium cumini L. – A potential new host of tropical tasar silkworm, Antheraea mylitta Drury (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae). Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies 2(1) 33-37.
- ^ a b Chakraborty, S., et al. (2015). Genetic analysis of Indian tasar silkmoth (Antheraea mylitta) populations. Scientific Reports 5 15728.
- ^ Maxwell-Lefroy, H., 1909. Indian Insect Life: a Manual of the Insects of the Plains. 1-786
- ^ "Tussur Moth (Antheraea paphia) from Sigiriya central Sri Lanka". flickr.com. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ Jolly, M. S., Sen, S. K., and Das, M. G. (1976). Silk from the forest. Unasylva 28(114) 20-23.
- ^ Saha, M., Mahendran, B., and Kundu, S. C. (2008). Development of random amplified polymorphic DNA markers for tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta. Journal of Economic Entomology 101(4), 1176-82.
- ^ Hansda, G, et al. (2008). Ex-situ stabilization and utility prospects of Jata ecorace of tropical tasar silkworm Antheraea mylitta Drury. International Journal of Industrial Entomology 17(2) 169-172.