silkworm
Moth larva, domesticated
A silkworm is the caterpillar of a moth that spins a cocoon of fine, lustrous fiber—the source of commercial silk.
The insects have been domesticated for thousands of years and can no longer survive in the wild.
Silkworm farming requires careful temperature control.
Moth or butterfly young
- larvaImmature feeding stage
- mothNight-flying lepidopteran
- mulberryMorus tree fruit
- pupaInsect's resting stage
cocoon · metamorphosis · instar · molt · exoskeleton · mandible · thorax · abdomen
Nurturing to maturity
- mulberry leavesFoliage from fruit-bearing tree
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
- domesticationAdapting species to captivity
- cultivationFostering growth through care
harvesting · cocoon · reeling · egg laying · oviposition · pupation · China · Japan
caterpillar
Moth or butterfly young
pupa · cocoon · metamorphosis · instar · molt · exoskeleton · mandible · thorax · abdomen · antenna
rearing
Nurturing to maturity
- mulberry leavesFoliage from fruit-bearing tree
- breedingReproductive cultivation of organisms
- domesticationAdapting species to captivity
cultivation · harvesting · cocoon · reeling · egg laying · oviposition · pupation · China · Japan · Korea
thread
Fiber for stitching
spinning · weaving · fabric · loom · satin · brocade · damask · organza · taffeta · chiffon
- caterpillarscaterpillar, inchworm, inchworms, hornworm, spanworm
- silk mothsluna moth, atlas moth, moon moth
- silkwormssilkmoth, cocoon
- arthropodsarthropod, arthropods, Arthropoda, insects, insect
- Eurasian wildlifeSiberian tiger, giant panda, red panda, snow leopard, Asian elephant
- leaf eaterskoala, caterpillar, leaf insect, leafcutter ant, hornworm
silkwormspider
Web-spinning arachnid
sheep · cashmere goat · flax