Silkworm Moth
FamilyBombycidae
Scientific NameBombyx mori
RangeDomesticated worldwide (origin: China)
HabitatCaptivity
About the Silkworm Moth
The source of silk, domesticated in China thousands of years ago from a wild ancestor. Each caterpillar spins a cocoon from a single thread that can be hundreds of meters long. Domestic adults cannot fly and do not eat. The species no longer exists in the wild. Silk production was a closely guarded Chinese secret for centuries and gave its name to the Silk Road.