author(s)
Shilpi Devi Borah and Praban Boro

abstract
Feeding is one of the major factor in silkworm rearing. Optimum feeding includes healthy host plant leaves available with essential nutrients. Nutrition is the basic unit of silkworm for growth and development. It is very much important to know the basic knowledge of nutrition about insects and it helps while studying life cycle of any particular insect or worms. The insects also have the same nutritional requirement as like other plants and animals such as protein, vitamins, carbohydrates etc. The basic nutrients needed by insects are less in amount as compared to other living organism like human beings or any other animals. The quantity of nutrients acquired by insect varies upon their body sizes. Since silkworm is a type of insect comes under lepidopteron order it also requires same nutrients for their better growth. Silkworm consumes their essential nutrients and water from their feed. If the healthy host plant leaves are not provided, available with essential nutrients the consequences are seen in the different instars of silkworms.