Paper Title
Application of Thyroxine on Growth and Commercial Characters of Silkworm; Bombyx Mori. L [Lepidoptera: Bombycidae]

Abstract
Thyroxine is vertebrate endocrine hormone which plays a vital role in vertebrate body and hence was used for the experiment to find its effect on growth and commercial characters of one of the economic insects; silkworm Bombyx mori. L. The silkworm larvae feed exclusively on mulberry leaves hence in this study, the larvae immediately after their fourth moult were fed with thyroxine treated mulberry leaves. This resulted in a positive trend for the quantity of mulberry leaf consumption and prolonged larval duration along with increased larval growth. Silk gland and heamolymph size were increased with an enhanced enzyme activity thereby resulting in giant cocoons which yielded higher cocoon weight and shell weight at a particular dose of thyroxine. This study concludes that the application of thyroxine has a positive effect of growth and commercial characters of silkworm which directly helps to enhance economic value and to overcome poverty. Keywords - Silk Gland, Thyroxine, Cocoon, Bombyx mori