Explain the life cycle of a silkmoth
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Answer:
The female silk moth lays about 300 to 400 eggs at a time. The eggs hatch and the caterpillars or silkworms emerge. Inside the cocoon, the silkworm enters the second stage of its life (called the pupa) and then the third and final stage to become an adult moth. ...
Answer :-
Life cycle of a silkmoth.
From silk moth to silkworm
In a silk farm, female silk moths are kept in separate linen bags, which are carefully disinfected. Each moth lays 200-500 eggs in the bag and dies. Of all these, some eggs are preserved for reproduction and the rest are used for producing silk.
The eggs chosen for producing silk are kept in cardboard boxes placed in incubators to keep them warm. When the larvae (the silkworms) hatch out of the eggs, they are fed on mulberry leaves, because they thrive best on these leaves.
Rearing silkworms - The feeding period
A perforated sheet of paper is placed over the hatching box or tray and chopped leaves are spread over it. After hatching, the silkworms come out in search of food and feed on the leaves. During the feeding period, a silkworm sleeps four times at intervals of about six days. While sleeping, its skin cracks and on awaking, the worm leaves the old skin and comes out in a new one. This phenomenon is called moulting.
After the moulting begins the last feeding period after which the worm growd to its full size. During this period, the room must be kept perfectly clean, and there should be enough light and air.
When the silkworm is fully grown, it is placed on some straw or small bushes on which it can make its cocoon.
The worm completes its cocoon, in about 5 days by producing 600 - 1200 metres of silk filament.
What happens to the worms?
During the period of spinning its cocoon, a silkworm is transformed into what is known as a pupa. In about ten days after that, it becomes a moth. If the moth is left on its own, it comes out by damaging its cocoon. Some cocoons are separated so that they can grow into moths and reproduce. The rest are treated as follows.
About eight days after the cocoons are made, the pupae are killed by exposing the cocoons by hot air.