Bombyx mori

Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758)
(previously known as : Phalaena mori)
Silkworm
BOMBYCIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 24 February 2009)

Bombyx mori
Lebanon, 1930

Bombyx mori
Afghanistan, 1963

Silkworms were introduced by European settlers into Australia in the nineteenth century. Attempts are still being made to set up a sericulture industry in Australia. Silkworms are also used for educational purposes Australia and in America. The growing of silkworms and the making of silk is extensively illustrated in the BBC video "War of the Worlds", in the "Alien Empire" series. The Caterpillars were originally tamed in China, and are now so domesticated that they cannot even hang onto the leaves of their food plant, but have to be kept in cages and have food leaves given to them. The tale of their domestication is part Chinese Folklore.

stylised silkworm earings

The Caterpillars are often fed on:

White Mulberry ( Morus alba ),

Black Mulberry ( Morus nigra ),

Red Mulberry ( Morus rubra ), and

Che ( Cudrania tricuspidata ),

all of MORACEAE, but the Caterpillars will accept other leaves such as Lettuce.

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The Caterpillars are buff coloured, with a horn on the tail and brown marks on the thorax. They grow to a length of about 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The Caterpillars pupate in a substantial cocoon, which may be any shade from white to yellow, depending on breeding and food.

Male
(Specimen: courtesy of the The Australian Museum)

The adult moths are buff coloured, with pale brown lines. Again, the domestication has been so complete that the moths cannot fly. They also have degenerate mouthparts, and so cannot feed. They are totally reliant on the nourishment ingested in their earlier Caterpillar stage. The moths have a wingspan of about 4 cms.

Female, with cocoon and eggs
(Photo: courtesy of Merlin Crossley)

The females lay several hundred eggs, which hatch normally in spring. The eggs may be kept indefinitely in a refrigerator (not a freezer: that kills them) allowing broods to be obtained at any time of year.

The Caterpillars are attacked by a number of other parasitic insects and diseases, such as: