抄録
Daily utilization and consumption of dry matter in food by the silkworm, Bombyx mori, were determined, and quantitative distribution of digested food into cocoon-shell, pupa, adult and eggs was estimated. The amounts of dry matter ingested and digested in the 4th and the 5th instars were 5.8 and 2.4 g for the male, and 6.6 and 2.8 g for the female, respectively. Digestibility was 42%. Dry matter gain in larva was 1.3 and 1.5 g for the male and the female, with a large part allocated to the silkglands. The dry matter utilization for tissues other than the silkglands was larger in the female than in the male. E.C.I. values for mature larva, pupa, adult and cocoon-shell were 22, 9, 5 and 11% in the male and 23, 11, 7 and 10% in the female, respectively. E.C.D. values for mature larva, pupa, adult and cocoon-shell were 52, 21, 12 and 26% in the male and 53, 25, 17 and 24% in the female, respectively. Approximately 9% of the digested food was utilized for the formation of eggs. It is evident from these results that a larger amount of digested food was stored in the female body than in the male for egg production. The relative rates of ingestion, digestion and consumption were also calculated.
