
The Silkworm
The process of silk production involves harvesting these cocoons before the moth emerges. If left alone, the moth would break the continuous silk thread when emerging from the cocoon. Instead, the cocoons are collected and placed in hot water to loosen the silk fibers, which are then unwound to create silk thread.
These insects have been so thoroughly domesticated over thousands of years that they can no longer survive in the wild. The adult moths have lost their ability to fly and rely entirely on human care for their survival. This makes silkworms one of the few completely domesticated insects in the world.
A silkworm is the larva (caterpillar) of the domesticated silk moth, Bombyx mori. These remarkable creatures have been cultivated for thousands of years, primarily in China and later across Asia and other parts of the world, for the production of silk.
Silkworms feed exclusively on mulberry leaves, which is why silk production is often closely tied to mulberry cultivation. As they grow, they shed their skin several times before reaching their final molt. When ready to transform into moths, they spin a cocoon around themselves using a single continuous thread of silk that can be up to 1,000 meters long.
















