Bombyx mori
Domesticated silk moth, primary producer of silk.
Bombyx mori, the domestic silk moth, is a member of the family Bombycidae and the closest relative of the wild silk moth, Bombyx mandarina. Its larvae, known as silkworms, are the primary producers of silk, making the species of immense economic value. The silkworm’s preferred food is the leaves of the white mulberry, though it will consume other mulberry species and, occasionally, other plants. Through thousands of years of selective breeding, the domestic silk moth has become entirely dependent on humans for reproduction, having lost its natural coloration and the ability to fly. The practice of sericulture—breeding silk moths for raw silk—originated in China at least 5,000 years ago, spreading to India, Korea, Nepal, Japan, and eventually the West. The domestic silk moth was domesticated from Chinese stock of Bombyx mandarina, whose range extends from northern India across to northern China, Korea, Japan, and far eastern Russia. Domestication likely did not occur before the Neolithic period, as the tools for producing silk thread had not yet been developed. Domestic and wild silk moths can still interbreed, sometimes producing hybrids. Sericulture conventionally kills the silkworm in its pupal stage by boiling the cocoon, a process criticized by animal welfare advocates and Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of ahimsa led to the promotion of Ahimsa silk, harvested from cocoons after the moth has emerged.
- species
- Bombyx mori
- common_name
- Domestic silk moth
- family
- Bombycidae
- known_for
- Primary producer of silk; sericulture
- domestication_origin
- China, at least 5,000 years ago
- wingspan
- 3–5 cm (1–2 in)
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Bombyx mori
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The domestic silk moth was domesticated from the wild silk moth Bombyx mandarina, which has a range from northern India to northern China, Korea, Japan, and the far eastern regions of Russia. The domestic silk moth derives from Chinese rather than Japanese or Korean stock. Silk moths were unlikely to have been domestically bred before the Neolithic period, as the tools to manufacture quantities of silk thread had not been developed. The domesticated Bombyx mori and the wild Bombyx mandarina can still breed and sometimes produce hybrids, though it is unknown if B. mori can hybridize with other Bombyx species.
Reader's Guide
Bombyx mori, the domestic silk moth, is the primary producer of silk and has been central to sericulture for at least 5,000 years, originating in China before spreading to India, Korea, Nepal, Japan, and the West. The silkworm, its larva, is essentially monophagous, preferring white mulberry leaves, which it locates partly through attraction to the odorant cis-jasmone, though it may consume other mulberry species or even other plants. Larvae pass through five instars before pupation. The cocoon is composed of a single raw silk thread up to 300 meters long, with fine fibers about 10 micrometers in diameter; producing roughly 70 million pounds of raw silk annually requires nearly 10 billion cocoons. Domestic silk moths have lost their coloration and ability to fly due to millennia of selective breeding, and they are entirely dependent on humans for reproduction. They can still breed with the wild Bombyx mandarina, producing hybrids. Sericulture conventionally kills the pupa by boiling cocoons to prevent the moth from emerging and damaging the silk with proteolytic enzymes; this practice has drawn criticism from animal welfare advocates, leading to Ahimsa silk, made from cocoons of moths allowed to emerge. Silk moths are divided into univoltine (one brood per season, common in Europe), bivoltine (two broods, typical in East Asia), and polyvoltine (multiple broods, found in the tropics) varieties, with diapause influenced by photoperiod, temperature, and humidity.
Did You Know?
- Domestic silk moths have lost their ability to fly and their native coloration due to millennia of selective breeding.
- The silkworm's preferred food is white mulberry leaves, attracted by the odorant cis-jasmone.
- The domestic silk moth's genome contains 43.6% repetitive sequences, mostly transposable elements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Bombyx mori?
Bombyx mori is the domestic silk moth, a member of the Bombycidae family that has been intimately tied to human civilization for thousands of years. It is the species most people picture when they hear "silk moth," and it has been reshaped by selective breeding into something quite distinct from its wild ancestors.
What is Bombyx mori's main role?
This moth is the backbone of sericulture worldwide, serving as the primary organism that spins the silk thread harvested from its cocoons. Without Bombyx mori, the entire global silk industry would essentially not exist.
How did Bombyx mori get domesticated?
Humans in China began raising these moths for their silk at least five thousand years ago, gradually selecting for traits that made them more useful to breeders. Over those millennia the species became so dependent on human care that it can no longer reproduce or survive in the wild on its own.
Why can't Bombyx mori fly?
Through thousands of generations of selective breeding focused on silk yield and other desirable traits, the moth lost its natural ability to fly along with its original coloration. This makes it entirely reliant on humans for every stage of its life cycle, from egg to cocoon.
What is Bombyx mori's closest relative?
The wild silk moth, Bombyx mandarina, is its nearest living relative and the species from which the domesticated form was originally derived. Fans often compare the two to appreciate just how dramatically human selection has reshaped the domestic moth over the centuries.
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