Silkworm, Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) is the immature stage of the silk moth. This species has a complete life cycle with an egg, larva, pupa, and adult stage, and its lifecycle is approximately eight weeks depending on conditions. Silkworm represents one of the few species to have been domesticated for human use, most notably, silk production. Silkworm has been selected to feed on mulberry leaves. While clearly the silk is a valuable commodity for the textile industry, the pupae remaining after harvesting the silk were, and still today, used as human food.
Classification
Bombyx mori
Kingdom | Animalia |
Phylum | Arthropoda |
Class | Insecta |
Order | Lepidoptera |
Family | Bombycidae |
Genus | Bombyx |
Species | B. mori |
Author citation | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
Common names | |
domestic silkmoth, silkworm |