Adult silk moth (Bombyx mori), the adult form of the silkworm.

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) — Adult silk moth.

Creator: smartneddy, self-photographed. CC BY-SA 3.0; also GFDL. [CC BY-SA 3.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0; also GFDL

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Species record

Silkworm

Bombyx mori

Explore the Silkworm (Bombyx mori) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The Silkworm is the domesticated larva of the silk moth Bombyx mori, reared for silk. It eats mulberry leaves and spins a protective cocoon from a continuous silk filament.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Arthropods
  3. Class: Insects
  4. Order: Butterflies and moths
  5. Family: Bombycidae
  6. Genus: Bombyx

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
sericulture farms, mulberry orchards, rearing rooms
Selected regions
Asia, Europe
Selected countries
China, India, Japan, Italy

Conservation status

The Ark records: Domesticated.

Did you know?

  • Silkworm caterpillars eat mulberry leaves.
  • A silkworm spins liquid-protein thread in layers to make its cocoon.

More images

Silkworm caterpillars (Bombyx mori) feeding on mulberry leaves.

Silkworm (Bombyx mori) — Caterpillars feeding on mulberry leaves.

Creator: [Fumikas Sagisavas](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Fumikas_Sagisavas). CC0, Creative Commons Zero public-domain dedication. [CC0 1.0 deed](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en).

Licence: CC0 (Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication)

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Sources and attribution