World Ark Magazine - March/April 2008 - (Page 21) Silk And The Silkworm The silkworm is not a worm at all. It is a caterpillar, the larva of the silk moth. The life span of a silk moth—from an egg the size of a pinhead through adult stage—is a mere 47 days. Most of this time is spent in the silkworm phase, feasting on mulberry leaves. When fully grown, the caterpillar spins its cocoon of silk, which is actually a protein-based liquid produced in specialized saliva glands and excreted through tiny holes in the silkworm’s mouth. The liquid solidifies only when it comes into contact with air. The cocooning process takes five days and results in one continuous thread of silk up to 3,000 feet long, all wound into a cocoon the color and size of a cotton ball. The moth emerges from this cocoon to live only another five days. Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkworm, is completely dependent upon humans. They are fed a constant diet of mulberry leaves and complete their life cycle in just 47 days. www.heifer.org March/April 2008 | WORLD ARK 21 http://www.heifer.org
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