Describe different stages of a silkworm. How is silk produced by them?

Different life stages of a silkworm is shown in the picture. From an egg it converts into a caterpillar and then it forms a cocoon and from that, it changes into a silkworm/ silk moth.

In the below steps the production of silk, as well as different stages of a silkworm, is explained:-

● A silkworm/ silk-worm-moth/ mulberry silk worm is an insect which produces silk of commercial importance.

● The production of the silk starts from the egg of silkworm.

● When the egg hatches, larva comes out of it which is called caterpillar,which has salivary glands also called as silk glands.

● When caterpillar fully develops, its length increases by 5 times. When it fully develops it stop eating food and start making a cocoon around him with his saliva.

● It releases his saliva around him and covers itself completely with a cocoon which is made from its saliva.

● The saliva is basically liquid silk which dries up when it comes into contact with air.

● From that cocoon, after some time a silk moth will come out. But before that happens caterpillar is killed inside the cocoon.

● Afterward it is removed from the cocoon silk is obtained from it. An average cocoon forms 1000-1200 meters of silk.

So, in short, silk is made from the cocoon which is made by the caterpillar around itself. Hence, this is how silk is made from silkworms.