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Silkworm
''Bombyx mori'', commonly known as the domestic silk moth, is a moth species belonging to the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of '' Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth. Silkworms are the larvae of silk moths. The silkworm is of particular economic value, being a primary producer of silk. The silkworm's preferred food are the leaves of white mulberry, though they may eat other species of mulberry, and even leaves of other plants like the Osage orange. Domestic silk moths are entirely dependent on humans for reproduction, as a result of millennia of selective breeding. Wild silk moths, which are other species of ''Bombyx'', are not as commercially viable in the production of silk. Sericulture, the practice of breeding silkworms for the production of raw silk, has existed for at least 5,000 years in China, whence it spread to India, Korea, Nepal, Japan, and then the West. The conventional process of sericulture kills the silkworm in the pupal stage. The domestic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silk
Silk is a natural fiber, natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be weaving, woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoon (silk), cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm ''Bombyx mori'' reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular Prism (optics), prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors. Harvested silk is produced by several insects; but, generally, only the silk of various moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing. There has been some research into other types of silk, which differ at the molecular level. Silk is mainly produced by the larvae of insects undergoing holometabolism, complete metamorphosis, but some insects, such as webspinners and Gr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sericulture
Sericulture, or silk farming, is the cultivation of silkworms to produce silk. Although there are several commercial species of silkworms, the caterpillar of the Bombyx mori, domestic silkmoth is the most widely used and intensively studied silkworm. This species of silkmoth is no longer found in the wild as they have been modified through selective breeding, rendering most flightless and without defense against predators. Silk is believed to have first been produced in China as early as the Neolithic period. Sericulture has become an important Putting-out system#Cottage industry, cottage industry in countries such as Brazil, China, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Russia, and Thailand. Today, China and India are the two main producers, with more than 60% of the world's annual production. History According to Confucius, Confucian text, the discovery of silk production dates to about 2700 BCE, although archaeological records point to silk cultivation as early as the Yangshao ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organisms, making it the second largest insect order (behind Coleoptera) with 126 family (biology), families and 46 Taxonomic rank, superfamilies, and one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world. Lepidopteran species are characterized by more than three derived features. The most apparent is the presence of scale (anatomy), scales that cover the torso, bodies, large triangular Insect wing, wings, and a proboscis for siphoning nectars. The scales are modified, flattened "hairs", and give butterflies and moths their wide variety of colors and patterns. Almost all species have some form of membranous wings, except for a few that have reduced wings or are wingless. Mating and the laying of eggs is normally performe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morus (plant)
''Morus'', a genus of flowering plants in the family Moraceae, consists of 19 species of deciduous trees commonly known as mulberries, growing wild and under cultivation in many temperate world regions. Generally, the genus has 64 subordinate taxa, though the three most common are referred to as white, red, and black, originating from the color of their dormant buds and not necessarily the fruit color (''Morus alba'', '' M. rubra'', and '' M. nigra'', respectively), with numerous cultivars and some taxa currently unchecked and awaiting taxonomic scrutiny. ''M. alba'' is native to South Asia, but is widely distributed across Europe, Southern Africa, South America, and North America. ''M. alba'' is also the species most preferred by the silkworm. It is regarded as an invasive species in Brazil, the United States and some states of Australia. The closely related genus '' Broussonetia'' is also commonly known as mulberry, notably the paper mulberry (''Brousso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombyx Mandarina
''Bombyx mandarina'', the wild silk moth, is a species of moth in the family Bombycidae. It is the closest relative of ''Bombyx mori'', the domesticated silk moth. The silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth. Unlike the domesticated relative which is unable to fly or indeed persist outside human care, the wild silk moth is a fairly ordinary lepidopteran. Its main difference from the domesticated taxon is the more slender body with well-developed wings in males, and the dull greyish-brown colour. Phylogeny and systematics ''Bombyx mandarina'' and the domesticated ''Bombyx mori'' constitute two of the currently identified eight species of the genus ''Bombyx'', the true or mulberry silk moths. The origin of the domestic silk moth is enigmatic. It has been suggested that it is the survivor of an extinct species that diverged from the ancestors of ''Bombyx mandarina'' millions of years ago. However, this is based on an untenable molecular clock hypothesis that assumes tha ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saturniidae
Saturniidae, members of which are commonly named the saturniids, is a family of Lepidoptera with an estimated 2,300 described species. The family contains some of the largest species of moths in the world. Notable members include the emperor moths, royal moths, and giant silk moths (or wild silk moths). Adults are characterized by large, lobed wings, heavy bodies covered in hair-like scales, and reduced mouthparts. They lack a frenulum, but the hindwings overlap the forewings to produce the effect of an unbroken wing surface. Saturniids are sometimes brightly colored and often have translucent eyespots or "windows" on their wings. Sexual dimorphism varies by species, but males can generally be distinguished by their larger, broader antennae. Most adults have wingspans between , but some tropical species such as the Atlas moth (''Attacus atlas'') may have wingspans up to . Together with certain Noctuidae, Saturniidae contains the largest Lepidoptera and some of the larges ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moth
Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyletic with respect to butterflies (suborder Rhopalocera) and neither subordinate taxon is used in modern classifications. Moths make up the vast majority of the order. There are approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of which have yet to be described. Most species of moth are nocturnal, although there are also crepuscular and Diurnal animal, diurnal species. Differences between butterflies and moths While the Butterfly, butterflies form a monophyly, monophyletic group, the moths, comprising the rest of the Lepidoptera, do not. Many attempts have been made to group the superfamilies of the Lepidoptera into natural groups, most of which fail because one of the two groups is not monophyletic: Microlepidoptera and Macrolepidoptera, Heterocera and Rhopalocera, Jugatae a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombycidae
The Bombycidae are a family of moths known as silkworm moths. The best-known species is ''Bombyx mori'' (Linnaeus), or domestic silk moth, native to northern China and domesticated for millennia. Another well-known species is '' Bombyx mandarina'', also native to Asia. Taxonomy The family was recently severely restricted, and currently contains only one or two subfamilies, the Bombycinae and Epiinae (previously the tribe Epiini). The former subfamilies Oberthueriinae and Prismostictinae have been placed as subjective junior synonyms of Endromidae. The former subfamilies Apatelodinae and Phiditiinae have been reinstated as separate families. Genera This list is provisional. ''Epia'' may also be placed within Apatelodidae, along with '' Tamphana''. Some genera were formerly placed in Apatelodinae, such as '' Anticla'' and '' Quentalia''.Hamilton, C.A., St Laurent, R.A., Dexter, K. et al. Phylogenomics resolves major relationships and reveals significant diversification rate shifts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Antheraea
''Antheraea'' is a genus of moths belonging to the family Saturniidae. It was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1819. Several species of this genus have caterpillars which produce wild silk of commercial importance. Commonly called "tussar silk", the moths are named tussar moths after the fabric. Taxonomy Species The genus includes these species: * '' Antheraea alleni'' Holloway, 1987 * '' Antheraea alorensis'' U. Paukstadt & L.h. Paukstadt, 2005 * '' Antheraea andamana'' Moore, 1877 * '' Antheraea angustomarginata'' Brechlin & Meister, 2009 * '' Antheraea assamensis'' Helfer, 1837 * '' Antheraea billitonensis'' Moore, 1878 * '' Antheraea broschi'' Naumann, 2001 * '' Antheraea brunei'' Allen & Holloway, 1986 * '' Antheraea castanea'' Jordan, 1910 (= ''A. mezops'') * '' Antheraea celebensis'' Watson, 1915 * '' Antheraea cernyi'' Brechlin, 2002 * '' Antheraea cihangiri'' Naumann & Naessig, 1998 * '' Antheraea cingalesa'' Moore, 1883 * '' Antheraea compta'' Rothschild, 1899 * '' Anthera ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Univoltine
Voltinism is a term used in biology to indicate the number of broods or generations of an organism in a year. The term is most often applied to insects, and is particularly in use in sericulture, where silkworm varieties vary in their voltinism. * Univoltine (monovoltine) – (adjective) referring to organisms having one brood or generation per year * Bivoltine (divoltine) – (adjective) referring to organisms having two broods or generations per year *Trivoltine – (adjective) referring to organisms having three broods or generations per year * Multivoltine (polyvoltine) – (adjective) referring to organisms having more than two broods or generations per year * Semivoltine – There are two meanings: :* (''biology'') Less than univoltine; having a brood or generation less often than once per year :* or (adjective) referring to organisms whose generation time is more than one year. Examples The speckled wood butterfly is univoltine in the northern part of its range, e.g. north ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Monophagous
A generalist species is able to thrive in a wide variety of environmental conditions and can make use of a variety of different resources (for example, a heterotroph with a varied diet). A specialist species can thrive only in a narrow range of environmental conditions or has a limited diet. Most organisms do not all fit neatly into either group, however. Some species are highly specialized (the most extreme case being monophagous, eating one specific type of food), others less so, and some can tolerate many different environments. In other words, there is a continuum from highly specialized to broadly generalist species. Description Omnivores are usually generalists. Herbivores are often specialists, but those that eat a variety of plants may be considered generalists. A well-known example of a specialist animal is the monophagous koala, which subsists almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves. The raccoon is a generalist, because it has a natural range that includes most of North ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Moraceae
Moraceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 48 genera and over 1100 species, and is commonly known as the mulberry or fig family. Most are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions, less so in temperate climates; however, their distribution is cosmopolitan overall. The only common characteristics within the family are the presence of latex-producing glands in the leaves and stems, and milky sap in the soft tissues; but generally useful field characters include two carpels sometimes with one reduced, compound inconspicuous flowers, and compound fruits. The family includes well-known plants such as the common fig, breadfruit, jackfruit and mulberry. The 'flowers' of Moraceae are often pseudanthia (reduced inflorescences). Description Overall The family varies from colossal trees like the Indian Banyan ('' Ficus benghalensis'') which can cover of ground, to '' Dorstenia barnimiana'' which is a small stemless, bulbous succulent 2–5 cm in diameter that pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
