Silkworm: Moth

silkworm moth, (Bombyx mori), lepidopteran whose caterpillar has been used in silk production (sericulture) for thousands of years. Although native to China, the silkworm has been introduced throughout the world and has undergone complete domestication, with the species no longer being found in the wild. Life cycle The Mulberry silkworm is completely domesticated insect. The silk moth is dioecious, i.e., the sexes are separate. Fertilisation is internal, preceded by copulation. The development includes a complicated complete metamorphosis, consisting of four stages viz egg, larva, pupa and adult. The silkworm (Bombyx mori) is a fully domesticated insect that has been cultivated for thousands of years for its ability to spin luxurious silk. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera, which also includes butterflies and moths. The life cycle of the silkworm is a complete metamorphosis, consisting of four major stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult moth. Understanding the life cycle of Bombyx mori is essential in the field of sericulture, which is the practice of rearing silkworms for silk ... The life cycle of silkworm The life cycle of silk moth starts when a female silk moth lays eggs. The caterpillar or larvae are hatched from the eggs of the silk moth. The silkworms feed on mulberry leaves and give rise to pupa. In the pupa stage, a weave is netted around by the silkworm to hold itself. After that it swings its head, spinning a fibre made of a protein and becomes a silk fibre. Several caterpillars form a protective layer around pupa and this covering is known as the cocoon ...