Silkworm

Silkworms (sometimes written silkworms) are the larval stage of Bombyx mori, the domesticated silk moth. The silk moth was domesticated from its wild relative Bombyx Mandarina in its original environment of northern China, a cousin that still exists today. According to archaeological data, this happened around 3500 BCE.

Silkworm

For thousands of years, the caterpillar of a lepidopteran has been utilised in the manufacture of silk (sericulture). The silkworm, which is native to China, has been brought all over the world and has been completely domesticated, with the species no longer being found in the wild.

An adult silkworm has a thick bristly body and a wingspan of 40 to 50 mm (approximately 2 inches) (the adult female is larger than the adult male). It has thin black lines running across its body and is usually blond to light brown. The wings are cream in colour with dark veins that run to the edge.

Silkworm Life Cycle & Silk Processing

Fibre is a material made up of thin and continuous threads. Natural and synthetic fibres are the two types of fibre. The natural fibre is made up of fibre originating from natural sources such as plants and animals. Natural fibres such as cotton and silk are the most common. Artificial fibre is a term used to describe man-made fibre. Artificial fibres include polyester and nylon, which are the most popular.

Silk is the most widely available fibre on the market. Fibroin and sericin are the two proteins that makeup silk. The fibroin protein makes up around 80% of the silk fibre, whereas the sericin protein makes up the remaining 20%. The fibroin protein is mostly concentrated in the centre, whereas sericin forms a layer around the core. The silkworm is the creature responsible for the creation of silk fibre. Silk is spun by the silkworm, which is subsequently nurtured to produce silk.

Life Cycle of silkworm

The silkworm’s life cycle is approximately 6-8 weeks long. The silkworm’s life cycle begins when the female silk moth produces eggs. The silkworm eggs are used to incubate the larvae. Silk moths feed on mulberry leaves and develop into a pupa. During the pupa stage, the silk moth spins a net around itself. The silk moth then swings its head and spins the protein-based fibre. Silk thread is the source of this fibre. The cocoon is a protective covering made by caterpillars around the pupa. The silk yarn is made from the cocoon of the silk moth.

The complete life cycle of a silk moth was studied in 4 stages.

1. Egg

 The female silkworm lays or produces eggs. This is the beginning of the silkworm’s life cycle. The silkworm’s egg is the size of a dot. The female silkworm can lay over 350 eggs at a time. When the eggs are exposed to warm temperatures, they hatch. The female silkworm only lays eggs once a year.

1. Silkworm larva

Hatched silkworm eggs give rise to silkworm larvae. Silkworm larvae are hairy and live for 24 to 33 days. Mulberry leaves are the only food source for silkworm larvae. During this stage, the organism’s growth is at its most rapid.

1. Cocoon

After 30 days, the silk moth enters this stage. The silkworm tends to become translucent and yellowish at this stage. The silkworm creates a protective covering around itself at this stage. The cocoon is the protective covering or layer. The cocoon is made up of a single silk thread about the size of a small cotton ball. It takes around two days for the cocoon to grow completely.

1. Pupa

The pupa stage is when the silkworm does not move or move at all. People loosen the silk thread by killing the pupa by plunging the cocoon into the bubbling water during the pupa stage.

1. Silkmoth

The silk moth takes about 10 to 14 days to develop from the cocoon stage. The pupa’s transformation into a silk moth completes the life cycle.

When the silk moth has completed its development, it begins looking for a mate. Pheromones are chemical molecules released by silk moths to attract mating mates. The female silk moth produces 350 eggs on the surface of mulberry leaves after mating. Individually, these eggs begin their life cycle.

Silkworm cocoon 

Mulberry silkworm cocoons are the most valuable commercially, but Chinese oak silkworm cocoons, ailanthus silkworm cocoons, and other silkworm cocoons are also used. These silkworm caterpillars make a double silk thread made up of the protein fibroin, the sticky component sericin, pigment, and other materials. The caterpillar wraps the thread around its body in the shape of figure eight while winding its cocoon on cocoon support, and these loops create the basic, reliable component of the casing. A continuous silk thread with a thickness of 20–30 micrometres can be 1,200 metres long. Mulberry silkworm cocoons are oval, spindle-shaped, or cylindrical, whereas oak silkworm cocoons are less regular in shape.

Conclusion

The page contains all of the critical information that a student needs to know about the silkworm at a basic level, lifecycle of silkworm and silkworm cocoon, among other things.

Silk is the most widely available fibre on market. Fibroin and sericin are two proteins that form silk. The fibroin protein makes up around 80% of silk fibre, whereas sericin protein makes up the remaining 20%.