SERICULTURE

The rearing of silk worm for commercial purpose is called Sericulture. It is SILK FARMING.

• Silk Moth belongs to
• Family: Bombycidae
• Order: Lepidoptera

 LIFE CYCLE OF SILK MOTH

• The life cycle is complete and consist of 4 stages
  • Egg
  • Larva
  • Pupa
  • Adult.
• The eggs hatch to form larvae.
• The larvae of silk moth are called caterpillars or silkworms.
• The larva (or caterpillar) of a silk moth which produces silk is called silkworm.
• A cocoon is the silk casing that caterpillar spins around it before it turns into a pupa.
• The Adult form of silk worm is called Silk Moth.

TYPES OF SILK

• Silk are of main 2 types:
• MULBERRY SILK
• NON-MULBERRY SILK

MULBERRY SILK

• Also known as Cultivated Silk.
• It is made by Moth Larvae that feed on Mulberry leaves.
• These are of 2 types
  • Univoltine Moth
  • Multivoltine Moth

UNIVOLTINE MOTH

• One crop of silk in a year is produced by Univoltine moths.
• For hatching, the eggs require Low temperature.
• The Cocoons have firm close consistency.
• The silk is reared in Jammu & Kashmir due to the hatching condition of the egg and also the temperature.

MULTIVOLTINE MOTHS

• Give upto 8 crops per year.
• Eggs do not require exposure to cold for hatching.
• The cocoons contain small amount of Silk.

NON MULBERRY SILK

• These are obtained from oak feeding larvae of silk moth.
• Example: Tussar Silk

MULBERRY SPECIALLY GROWN FOR SILKWORM IS CALLED MORICULTURE