THE SILK-MAKING MOTH

❃ Emerging from the world of cultivated silkworms, the silkworm moth is the adult stage of a remarkable insect whose life has been closely intertwined with humans for thousands of years. Its pale, soft-looking body and broad wings give it a gentle, almost delicate appearance, while its compact form reflects a life very different from that of most wild moths. The silkworm moth is the domesticated form of Bombyx mori, a species shaped by generations of selective breeding for the production of silk.

❃ The extraordinary story begins during its caterpillar stage, when the silkworm feeds almost exclusively on mulberry leaves and grows rapidly before spinning its famous cocoon. Using a pair of specialised silk glands, the larva produces a continuous filament of protein that can extend for hundreds of metres as it wraps itself in a protective shell. Inside this cocoon, the caterpillar transforms into a moth, emerging with wings and reproductive organs but little ability to fly or feed.

❃ Silkworm moths are now found wherever people raise silkworms for silk production, with their history stretching back thousands of years in East Asia. Unlike their wild relatives, domesticated silkworm moths have become highly dependent on human care and generally cannot survive well without it. From a tiny leaf-eating caterpillar to a cocoon woven from an extraordinary strand of silk, its life cycle is a remarkable example of transformation — and of how deeply an insect can become connected to human civilisation.