Kowa Company Limited

National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

Akimune Asanuma

Tsunenori Kameda

Taiyo Yoshioka

Takahiro Kitamura

Norihiko Fukuoka

Ryoko Ichiki

Takayuki Matsuda

Tamako Hata

Hironori Sassa

Keitaro Hattori

Atsushi Ito

A nest material useful in bagworm rearing is provided which can be stably supplied, is hygienic, and has high efficiency for nest building. A bagworm nest material including a bark having a specific shape and size in accordance with the stage of growth of a bagworm is also provided.

Bag worm nest material

An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a fiber-reinforced composite material having a bagworm silk thread(s) as a reinforcing fiber and being isotropic in terms of elastic modulus and strength. A fiber-reinforced composite material having nonwoven fabric(s) including bagworm silk thread as a reinforcing fiber is also provided.

Fiber-reinforced composite material and method for producing the same

Disclosed is a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

Apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, and method of producing long bagworm silk thread

A simple and efficient breeding method for the bagworm moth is provided, as well as a device for performing the method. Also developed and provided is a method of easily collecting eggs from a bagworm moth, an egg collection device for bagworm moths composed of a tubular container. A bagworm moth breeding method and egg collection method performed using the device are also described.

Egg collection device for bagworm moth and breeding method and egg collection method of bagworm moth using the same

An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread without slack of reeling during collection while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, including: a movable loop-shaped rail configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be held by the legs of a bagworm; a fixator configured to fix the bagworm; and an adhesion controller configured to store an adhesion control solution for washing away or removing a gummy component from the bagworm silk thread spun on the movable loop-shaped rail, wherein the apparatus makes it possible to cumulate the bagworm silk thread spun on the movable loop-shaped rail.

Apparatus for collecting bagworm silk thread and method for producing long bagworm silk thread

Provided is a method developed for producing a thread bundle with high efficiency in terms of spun thread collection and without causing mechanical damage to a foothold silk thread spun by a bagworm onto a base material. After a bagworm is placed along with a solvent-soluble base material and allowed to spin the foothold silk thread onto the surface of the base material, the base material is dissolved with a solvent to separate the foothold silk thread therefrom.

Method for producing thread bundle of bagworm silk thread

Developed and provided is a method of collecting a large amount of high-quality bagworm silk threads having no contaminant from bagworm nests in a convenient manner and at low cost. The habit of bagworms is utilized to allow a bagworm to build a nest using solvent-soluble substances or thermally meltable substances as nest materials, followed by dissolving or melting the nest materials to separate the nest material from the bagworm silk threads, whereby only pure bagworm silk threads constituting the bagworm nest can be obtained.

Method of collecting bagworm silk thread

An object of the present invention is to develop: a method of efficiently producing a long bagworm silk thread containing no contaminant while preventing a change in the spinning direction and the runaway of the bagworm from a rail, and alleviating a burden on the bagworm; and an apparatus for implementing the thread-producing method. Provided is an apparatus for producing a bagworm silk thread, having a movable rail having a width smaller than the maximum width between the right and left legs of a bagworm and configured to move in the longitudinal direction and to be able to hold with the legs of the bagworm; and a fixator configured to fix a bagworm, wherein the fixator is placed at a position such that the fixed bagworm can hold the movable rail.

An object of the present invention is to develop and provide a fiber-reinforced composite material having an 'elongation' feature in addition to a high strength and a high elastic modulus. Further, an object of the present invention is to address problems of brittleness and peeling in the conventional fiber-reinforced composite materials. A fiber-reinforced composite material containing the bagworm silk thread as reinforcing fibers is provided.

Growing community of inventors

Tsukuba, Japan

Akimune Asanuma