Abstract: The lustrous (lu) and varnished eye (ve) are recessive single-gene mutants in the silkworm, Bombyx mori. So far, the mechanisms of the mutation and mutant genes are unknown. Using the wild-type strain Dazao (Dz) as the wild-type control, we observed the surface morphology of adult compound eyes and larval ocelli in lu and ve by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the internal structures with paraffin sections and HE staining technology. The results showed that the surface morphology of the compound eyes in lu and ve except the typical characteristic of luster are significantly different from the normal, including the shape and size, and the shape, arrangement and quantities of ommatidia in lu and ve are also different from the control. The cornea, crystalline cone, rhabdom and pigment cell structures are abnormal, but not the same in lu and ve. Not only the surface of compound eyes has changed, but their internal structure has varied largely in lu and ve. This study provides helpful data for cloning mutant genes from lu and ve and clarifying the mechanisms of the mutations.

Key words: Bombyx mori, mutant strain, phenotype, compound eye, ommatidia, ocelli, morphology