What Are The Different Types Of Silk Moths

It is an economically important insect being a primary producer of silka silkworms preferred food are white mulberry leaves though they may eat other mulberry species and even the osage.

What are the different types of silk moths. Eri silk also known as the endi or errandi silk is a creamy white colored silk. Mulberry silk bombyx mori mulberry silk is the most common among the many kinds of silk. It is derived from two domesticated species of silkworms known as samia ricini and philosamia ricin. This popular kind is produced by the bombyx mori silkworms which are fed from the mulberry bush thus the name.

There are also other types of non mulberry silk which are mostly wild and exploited in africa and asia are anaphe silk fagara silk coan silk mussel silk and spider silk. This moth has golden colored wings with circular eye like markings on each and fuzzy antennae. This family is characterized by the presence of sound generating and sound receiving organs in the thorax chest region. Bombyx mori the domestic silk moth is an insect from the moth family bombycidaeit is the closest relative of bombyx mandarina the wild silk moththe silkworm is the larva or caterpillar of a silk moth.

The larvae of this moth produce tussar silk and exquisite silk which has a glossy finish is naturally stain resistant and becomes better with age. Thus tassar silk kosa silk mooga silk etc are obtained from cocoons spun by different types of moths. It makes up 90 of the silk supply in the world. Out of the four different silk types the two ie mulberry and eri are manufactured from domesticated silkworms whereas tasar and munga silkworms are wild in nature although attempts are in progress to domesticate them too.

There is a variety of silk moths which look very different from one another and the silk yarn they yield is different in texture coarse smooth shiny etc. The most common silk moth is the mulberry silk moth. The life cycle of these four types of silk moths are much in common as they lay eggs from which caterpillars hatches. The japanese silk moth has been cultivated in japan for a long time mainly for its super elastic and strong white silk which is extremely rare and expensive in todays times.

Like the luna moth the japanese silk moth is part of the giant silk moth group with a wingspan as much as six inches its easy to understand why. Three other commercially important types fall into the category of non mulberry silks namely. The hummingbird hawk moth. Eri silk is a peace silk since it is spun from the cocoon of the silkworm without destroying the worm unlike mulberry and tasar silk.

Arctiids consist of a wide variety of moths including tiger moths lichen moths and wasp moths.