Silkworm

The silkworm (Bombyx mori, Latin: "silkworm of the mulberry tree") is the larva of a moth that is very important economically as the producer of silk. A silkworm's diet consists solely of mulberry leaves. It is native to northern China.

Related Topics:
Latin - Larva - Moth - Silk - Mulberry - China

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The silkworm is so called because it spins its cocoon from raw silk. The cocoon is made of a single continuous thread of raw silk from 300 to 900 meters (1000 to 3000 feet) long.

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Silkworms have a good appetite. They eat mulberry leaves day and night continuously. Thus, they grow very fast. When the color of their heads turn darker, it means that it is time for them to moult. After they moult about four times, their bodies turn slightly yellow and their skin becomes tighter, which means they are going to cover themselves with a silky cocoon.

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If the caterpillar is left to eat its way out of the cocoon naturally, the threads will be cut short and the silk will be useless, so silkworm cocoons are thrown into boiling water, which kills the silkworms and also makes the cocoons easier to unravel. The silkworm itself is often eaten.

Related Topics:
Caterpillar - Thread

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The adult moth has been bred for silk production and cannot fly. It is also called the silkworm-moth or mulberry silkworm.They have a wingspan of 2 inches and a white hairy body. Because of its long history and economic importance, the silkworm genome has been the object of considerable modern study.

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