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Question
Describe the life history of the silk moth with the help of figures of various stages.
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Solution
The female silk moth lays eggs. When an egg hatches, a tiny caterpillar crawls out. This is the silkworm or larva. The silkworm feeds on mulberry leaves and grows. When it is ready to enter the next stage in its life cycle, it first weaves a net to hold itself. It then secretes a fibre made of proteins, which hardens on exposure to air. This is the silk fibre. It covers itself completely with this fibre, to form a cocoon. At this stage, the larva is called a pupa. The pupa grows and changes inside the cocoon. A few weeks later, the cocoon opens and an adult moth comes out.
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RELATED QUESTIONS
The silkworm is (a) a caterpillar, (b) a larva. Choose the correct option
Make sketches of the two stages in the life history of the silk moth which are directly related to the production of silk.
Out of the following, which are the two terms related to silk production?
Sericulture, floriculture, moriculture, apiculture and silviculture
Hints:
(1) Silk production involves cultivation of mulberry leaves and rearing silkworms.
(2) Scientific name of mulberry is Morus alba.
The cultivation and production of silk is known as ______.
Define – Sericulture
State whether the following statement is True or False. If false, correct them.
The rearing of silkworms for obtaining silk is called silviculture.
Some words related to silk are jumbled up. Write them in their correct form.
TURECULRISE
Steps for the production of silk are given below in a jumbled order. Arrange them in their proper sequence.
- Eggs are warmed to a suitable temperature for the larvae to hatch from eggs.
- Fibres are taken out from the cocoon.
- After 25 to 30 days, the caterpillars stop eating and start spinning cocoons.
- The larvae/caterpillars or silkworms are kept in clean trays along with freshly chopped mulberry leaves.
- Female silk moths lay eggs.
- Cocoons are kept under the sun or boiled in water.
______ are boiled to get the silk.
The silk moth feed on ______.
