Vol. 6, Issue 12, Part B (2020)

Abstract
Nutrients are transferred from male to female during copulation and are important to silkmoth, which does not feed during its adult life. The present study examined the protein content as nutrient source and its utilization by the females that were allowed to mate for different durations. It was observed that there was a significant increase in protein content in female moths after mating, which subsequently decreased on oviposition and this decrease was more in mated females when compared to oviposited virgins. Increased mating duration reduced more protein in male reproductive tissues and increased the gain in female moths. Protease activity remained the same in all the tissues of male and female moths before and after mating, except in male accessory glands, and female bursa copulatrix and spermatheca, suggesting that the transferred proteins do not serve as the main source of energy for mating or post mating activities of female moths.