Silkworms or Bombyx mori are caterpillars that have been used for thousands of years to produce silk.
They are native to China but can be found around the world.
Sericulture is the means by which silkworms are domesticated and raised for the production of silk.
The life cycle of the silkworm:
The total life cycle of silkworm lasts about 6-8 weeks.
The life cycle of the silkworm can be studied in four stages:
Egg: The laying of eggs by the female silkworm marks the start of the silkworm's life cycle.
Larva: The larva comes out from the hatched egg. The larva feeds on the leaves of mulberry and maximum growth is observed during this stage.
Cocoon: At this stage, a protective covering is developed around the silkworm which is known as a cocoon. A cocoon is composed of a single silk thread of a small cotton ball. This stage lasts for 2 days.
Pupa: Silkworm does not move at this stage. At this stage, silk thread is extracted by killing the pupa by dropping the cocoon into the bubbling water.
Pupa transforms into a silk moth completing its life cycle.
