China - amazing country, filled with myths and legends. According to one of the ancient legends, the wife of the mythical Yellow Emperor, taught her people to weave and extract silk from the silkworm. How much you can believe this legend is unknown, but to this day China is breeding this butterfly.
What does it look like
It's pretty large butterfly with a wingspan of up to 60 mm, with unique individual characteristics. For example, in the process of evolution and domestication, it lost its ability to feed and acquired.
After emergence, she mates, lays larvae and dies. Its ancestors ate the leaves of the mulberry tree; it was in its crown that they lived, which is why the name of this insect came about.
Lifestyle
It has been noted that males, when spinning a cocoon from a single silk thread, spend a little more vital resource and time on this. As a result, the male’s cocoon turns out to be 25% heavier than that of the female. The process of creating a silk cocoon is very labor-intensive and troublesome, releasing lower lip two strong, but at the same time the thinnest threads, the caterpillar weaves its house for 18-25 days to transform into a butterfly.
An important point In the life of the silkworm, it serves to arrange a place for hammering: thin rods must be installed in it, and it is in them that the silkworm will weave its house. The size of the cocoon reaches 38 mm, it is very dense with closed edges.
Reproduction
The life cycle of an insect is simple and primitive, and over many years of work with it by humans, it has been refined into a mechanism.
After mating, the female spends 2-3 days laying eggs; she produces about 600 eggs per clutch. After the appearance of a tiny caterpillar and with proper maintenance, it will grow and develop for about 25 days until it reaches maturity. And only then will preparations begin for transformation into a butterfly.
The pupa becomes a pupa on the 10th day, and only then can silk cocoons be used to produce silk thread.
Economic importance
Today you can go to silkworm breeding factories, see and learn the entire production process, but several centuries ago for the Chinese, everything related to the production of silk from silkworms was a closely guarded secret, the disclosure of which was threatened the death penalty. But there are no secrets that cannot be revealed. The same thing happened in this case. Gradually, cunning traders revealed this secret, and it became the property of many nations. Silk production began to develop in India, Europe, Russia, and Kazakhstan.
Silkworm- worker in the textile industry. The second country where they began to engage in this profitable business, based on the reproduction of butterfly larvae, was India. Today it occupies a leading position in the production of natural silk.
The silkworm is no longer found in wildlife, and the whole life cycle takes place under human supervision.
Modern developments make it possible to select the silkworm to such an extent that the cocoon itself has whitest color. Cocoons of gray, green or yellow color are not suitable for producing high-quality silk, so breeders do not use them in large-scale production.
The silkworm or silkworm belongs to the silkworm family. This type of insect got its name due to its feeding habits. The silkworm can only feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree. The silkworm is a completely domesticated insect and is not found in the wild today. The ancestors of the silkworm are considered to be wild mulberry worms, which were tamed and domesticated long before our era in China.
Silkworm is pretty large insects. Adults can reach 6 cm in wingspan. The insects are quite massive for their size and have practically lost the ability to fly.
The life cycle of the silkworm consists of several stages and metamorphoses. After mating, the female lays about 500 eggs, which eventually turn into a caterpillar. The caterpillars grow quite quickly and shed their skin several times.
Silkworm caterpillars are often called silkworms, due to their appearance. The appearance of a silkworm caterpillar can be seen in the photo. The caterpillars feed on mulberry leaves without interruption throughout the day. Thanks to this intensive feeding, the caterpillars grow very quickly, molt several times, and then turn into pupae.
After about a month and a half, the mulberry worm begins to pupate. The worms move more and more slowly and have difficulty turning their heads. A slowdown in activity indicates preparation for pupation. The caterpillar begins to produce a continuous thread of silk, forming a dense cocoon around itself. Silkworm pupae are formed inside the cocoon. The silk thread from which silkworm cocoons are formed can reach up to 1.5 km. Medium cocoons are usually formed with 400 -800 meters of silk thread.
In the photo below you can see a mature silkworm cocoon.
Silkworm cocoons are different colors- greenish, yellow, pink and white. The cocoon is fully formed within 2-3 days. After about 2-3 weeks, a butterfly emerges from the cocoon. But during commercial breeding of silkworms, they do not wait for the butterfly to come out of the cocoon. Pupated caterpillars are placed for a couple of hours at a temperature of 100°C, which causes the death of the pupa inside the cocoon. After the death of the pupa, the thread unwinds more easily.
Interestingly, adult butterflies do not feed throughout their lives. Silkworm butterflies have an underdeveloped chewing apparatus and are simply unable to consume food. A butterfly can live without food for several days. This period is just enough to lay eggs.
There are several types of silkworms depending on their habitat.
Types of mulberry worms:
Japanese;
Chinese;
Korean;
Indian;
European;
Persian;
Mulberry worms different types The individuals differ in size and color. Cocoons also differ in size, shape and amount of silk. Different types of silkworms are characterized by different durations of the ripening period and frequency of yield.
Sericulture
Mulberry worms are most often used in sericulture. Silk production dates back to ancient times and occupied an important place in the economies of eastern countries. Today, the main silk producing countries are India and China. Mulberry worms are also bred quite widely in European countries, Korea, India and Russia.
Mulberry worms with white cocoons are bred for production purposes. Most often, Japanese, Chinese and European species silkworms. With the development of silkworming, new mixed breeds of silkworms are constantly being developed.
In large industries, the eggs of mulberry worms are grown in special incubators, where they turn into larvae in a couple of days. The larvae are then placed in special feeders with mulberry leaves, where they feed and grow. After the larvae grow, they are transferred to special cells where they will form a cocoon. The larvae begin to produce silk thread when they find the necessary support for fixation. Rotating their heads to the sides, the larvae form a frame, and then crawl inside and complete the formation of the cocoon.
To obtain silk thread in production, they do not wait until the moth is born. After a couple of days, the pupated individuals are collected and treated with steam. When treated with steam, the larvae inside die and the threads are easier to unwind. After steam, the cocoons are immersed in boiling water, which makes the thread more pliable.
IN eastern countries Home breeding of silkworms is still widespread. The larvae are manually transferred to trays covered with mulberry leaves, and straw branches or lattice trays are used to form a cocoon.
It takes about two thousand pupated caterpillars to produce one silk item, such as a dress. Silk products are very expensive, which is due to the labor-intensive process of obtaining silk threads. With the development of technology, synthetic threads are replacing silk. But reviews about the characteristics of natural silk do not require additional comments. Natural fabric has a special richness and charm, and products made from silk thread are still considered an indicator of status and good taste.
Mulberry worms in cosmetology
Natural silk contains the proteins sericin and fibroin. Sericin dissolves well in warm water, forming a sticky mixture. Fibroin is not able to dissolve in water. Cocoons become sticky after immersion in water, which is due to the dissolution of sericin. Sericin moisturizes the skin and also prevents the formation of wrinkles. Well-hydrated skin ages slower.
Mulberry cocoons can be used for peeling procedures. Silk thread fibers exfoliate well the upper dead layer of cells. After peeling using silkworm threads, the skin becomes elastic and smooth.
For cosmetic purposes, empty cocoons are used, from which the larvae are first removed. Also, for cosmetic purposes, you can use the cocoons from which the butterfly flew.
The photo shows how the larvae are taken out of the cocoon through the hole.
According to women's reviews, using cocoons is very simple and convenient. They are worn on index fingers and move along the massage lines of the face. The face must be cleaned and washed before the procedure. warm water. Before pilling, silk fibers must be moistened in water. Best reviews People report the effectiveness of using silkworm cocoons after a course of several peeling procedures.
Silk thread fibers work well against enlarged pores and blackheads. Before the peeling procedure, the facial skin must be cleansed using a cleanser.
Of course, reviews of instant rejuvenation are usually greatly exaggerated, but the proteins sericin and fibroin can really slow down the aging process.
The gypsy moth butterfly belongs to the moth family. It received this name due to the significant differences between the male and female. In many countries gypsy moth refers to quarantine objects.
Introduction to North America
Description
As mentioned above, male and female have significant differences. They appear in both shape and color. The female reaches 9 cm. Her fore wings are slightly yellowish or grayish-white, with wavy, jagged and transverse dark brown stripes. Also present on the wings black spot semi-lunar or angular in shape at the middle and small round at the base. Between the veins along the edge there is a row of black spots. They are also black. Females have a thick abdomen, at the end of which there is a brownish-gray fluff. Their legs and antennae are black. Males reach 4 cm in width in the wingspan. Their antennae are brown and feathery. The color of the male is dark gray. The front wings have the same stripes and spots as those of the female, but have wider stripes and spots. The eggs of the gypsy moth are initially yellow. Over time, the color becomes yellowish or pinkish-gray. The egg has a smooth surface, round in shape, slightly flattened at the top. Its diameter is 1-1.2 mm. The caterpillar can reach up to 7.5 cm. It has sixteen legs and a hairy body. On the back there are three thin, in some cases almost invisible, longitudinal stripes and paired warts, five of which are blue, and the back six are red. Each wart has a tuft of hairs. The caterpillar's head is dark gray. It has two longitudinal black, kidney-shaped spots. The silkworm pupa is dark brown or matte black. On it you can see sparse tufts of short reddish hairs and two pits behind the antennae. The adult gypsy moth has no mouthparts.
Cycle Features
On average, a female lives for several weeks. During this period, she manages to lay up to a thousand eggs. The clutch changes color over time, which indicates the degree of maturation of the larvae. Eggs are very resistant to influence external factors. They tolerate low temperatures well, so during the winter the embryonic development of the gypsy moth does not stop. This process ends with the onset of spring. Providing energy material to all stages of insect development - eggs, pupa, as well as directly to the insect itself adult- carried out by the caterpillar. That is why the period of her feeding is so long - from 2 to 2.5 months. The first food of caterpillars is egg shell. So they can exist for 4-5 days, waiting for a favorable time to migrate.
Embryonic period
Females lay eggs in depressions in the bark of stumps and trunks. They release them several at a time, in bunches. At the same time, females mix eggs with yellowish-gray fluff, which also covers them on top. After laying the masonry, the individual may die immediately. Clumps of eggs may cover the bases of trunks in fluffy continuous rings. In some cases, masonry is found on stones, structures, and various buildings. The eggs overwinter well in frosty conditions and high humidity. They do not lose their viability even after a ten-day stay under water. Mating may be complicated by rainy weather in summer period. In such cases, females lay predominantly unfertilized eggs, in which larvae do not form.
Appearance of larvae
In early spring The caterpillars begin to hatch. Their bodies are covered with disproportionately long and numerous hairs. There are expansions or swellings on them. Thanks to them, the caterpillars are easily picked up by the wind and carried for many kilometers. After the end of the first molt, the hairs are lost. Growing up, the caterpillars begin to crawl into different directions in search of food. In some cases, they even undertake mass crossings across roads and fields. Sometimes they cross the railway tracks so that moving trains have to stop.
How does a caterpillar turn into a butterfly?
Pupation occurs in June and early July. The pupae are attached in the form of a network of numerous thin threads. They are located in the crevices of the bark, in some cases between half-eaten leaves, which are covered with cobwebs, on the lower branches not high from ground level. Inside the pupa, a constant change in the body begins. Since the caterpillar turns into a butterfly inside a cocoon, monitoring this process is problematic. In general, the entire process takes about 10-15 days.
Natural enemies
Gypsy moth: control measures
other methods
Preventive treatment of old trees with active compounds is very effective. For young plantings, however, it is better to use other methods. Processing fruit trees carried out with a mixture of kerosene and mineral oil in a 1:1 ratio. The cocoons can be destroyed during flowering. Among all the methods used, however, the most effective is spraying with modern insecticidal preparations. In early spring, you can use the viral drug "Virin-ENZh". At the beginning of flowering, the products “Phosfamide”, “Chlorophos”, “Metaphos” are effective. The drug "Nitrafen" has proven itself quite well. However, it can be used before buds appear on the trees.
Silkworms belong to the class of insects and represent great danger for an orchard. These voracious caterpillars are capable of destroying a huge area of plantings and thereby causing damage agriculture. In order not to suffer from these pests, you need to know how to deal with them correctly.
What does a gypsy moth look like?
This insect is considered one of the most dangerous. It belongs to the order Lepidoptera. Sometimes it is also called the mulberry beetle, however, this is a misnomer. The gypsy moth is a butterfly that primarily leads night look life. Its caterpillars damage the leaves, ovaries and buds of various fruit trees - pear, apple, plum, cherry and others. The name “unpaired” is due to the fact that adult females and males of this insect are very different in appearance from each other. Initially, they even thought that they belonged to a different order of insects.
Starting in mid-July, their eggs can be found on tree bark, stumps and even wooden fences. Each such clutch is covered with small fibers and has a slightly yellowish color. The gypsy moth is very prolific. One clutch usually contains about 600 eggs.
The larvae that have just hatched from the eggs are also covered with fine fluff, thanks to which they can be easily transported by the wind over short distances. In this regard, the gypsy moth can spread quite quickly throughout the entire garden.
It begins to damage trees in the very first hours of its birth. Literally in a month, one squad consisting of hundreds of larvae can ruin all the green spaces in the garden. Therefore, measures should be taken very quickly.
Why are ringed silkworms dangerous?
This pest also belongs to the class of insects, the order of butterflies. Adults have a thick body covered with light brown fluff. Females are larger. The ringed silkworm is smaller in size than the gypsy moth. But at the same time it is no less dangerous. Most of all this insect loves the apple tree.
The name of this pest comes from its peculiarity of laying eggs in the form of a ring. Each such ring can contain up to 300 eggs. The presence of 5-6 such rings on a tree already poses a serious danger to it.
Measures to combat caterpillars
These insects have enemies in the wild. In addition to birds that love to feast on the caterpillars of these harmful butterflies, entomophages also pose a threat to them. These are living organisms belonging to the class of insects that can eat their own kind. The most common ones are ladybug, lacewing.
For caterpillars greatest danger Among them is the ground beetle. This beetle eats larvae various butterflies. One female of such a beetle is able to eat up to six thousand larvae. Dead-eating beetles and variegated beetles are also considered active enemies of fruit tree pests.
Many species of these beetles eat both butterfly larvae and pollen. Therefore, you can attract them to your garden by planting strong-smelling flowers, for example, marigolds, oregano, and rosemary. It is best to plant them in flower beds around trees.
ground beetle
The photo shows a ground beetle - main enemy caterpillars It is often mistaken for a harmful beetle, but on the contrary, it perfectly helps fight pests in the garden.
In addition, to ways to combat garden pests can be attributed:
- Regular inspection of all fruit trees in the garden for the presence of masonry. If they are found, they must be carefully removed from the tree bark with a knife. Then burn or bury deep. It is better to simply cut off branches with oviposition.
- Spraying trees with insecticides before flowering.
- Preventive washing of tree bark with special solutions.
- Installation of special glue traps for already hatched caterpillars on tree bark.
Garden-safe silkworm species
In addition to the two species of butterflies considered, there are also completely safe representatives of this family of insects that live in our area, which do not cause damage to the garden, preferring wild trees, for example, oak, pine or birch. These include:
- Birch silkworm.
- Oak silkworm.
- Pine traveling silkworm.
All of them belong to the same class and order as the previous butterflies. However, they do not live on garden trees. For example, the pine silkworm feeds on pine needles and sap. And although the caterpillars of this butterfly do not pose a danger to the garden, they can cause very serious damage to wild trees. They can eat the needles so that it looks like fire has passed through them.
The pine silkworm lays eggs under pine bark. The hatched eggs have a grayish color that blends with the bark of this tree. After some time, very voracious larvae emerge from them and feed on pine needles. One such caterpillar can eat up to 150 needles. For the winter, they crawl off the pine tree and hide under the moss. And in the middle of summer they turn into a butterfly.
The pine silkworm is a very dangerous pest of pine plantings. Its caterpillars eat the needles so intensively that the damaged tree most often cannot recover and dies.
The main enemy of this pest in the wild are cuckoos. They happily eat the larvae of this insect.
The photo below shows a pine silkworm. Belongs to the class of insects. Butterfly squad.
The birch silkworm prefers to settle on birch trees, eating buds and young shoots. He also loves willow and linden.
In the photo below you can see an adult of this insect on a birch branch.
The oak silkworm is not a pest. Unlike other representatives of this family, it is specially bred to produce natural silk. The oak silkworm is a very beautiful and elegant butterfly, which began to be grown relatively recently in our latitudes. For this, wild trees are used - oak, birch, hornbeam or willow.
The oak silkworm is very large. Its wingspan can reach 12 cm. Two pairs of multi-colored eyes are symmetrically located along their edges, which is why the oak silkworm received its second name “peacock-eye”.
This butterfly belongs to the family of true silkworms. Its common representatives are also the Indian and mulberry silkworms.
The photo above shows an adult butterfly of this insect.
Silkworm (lat. Bombyx mori) is a nondescript little butterfly with dirty white wings that cannot fly at all. But it is thanks to her efforts that fashionistas around the world have been able to enjoy outfits made from beautiful soft fabric, the shine and colorful shimmer of which fascinates at first sight, for more than 5,000 years.
Silk has always been a valuable commodity. The ancient Chinese, the first producers of silk fabric, kept their secret securely. For its disclosure there was an immediate and terrible death penalty. They domesticated silkworms back in the 3rd millennium BC, and to this day these small insects work to satisfy the whims of modern fashion.
There are monovoltine, bivoltine and multivoltine breeds of silkworm in the world. The first give only one generation per year, the second - two, and the third - several generations per year. An adult butterfly has a wingspan of 40-60 mm, but it has an underdeveloped oral apparatus, so she does not feed throughout her entire life short life. The wings of the silkworm are dirty white, with brownish bands clearly visible on them.
Immediately after mating, the female lays eggs, the number of which varies from 500 to 700 pieces. The clutch of the silkworm (like all other representatives of the peacock-eye family) is called grena. It has an elliptical shape, flattened on the sides, with one side slightly larger than the other. On the thin pole there is a depression with a tubercle and a hole in the center, which is necessary for the passage of the seed thread. The size of the grenades depends on the breed - in general, Chinese and Japanese silkworms have smaller grenades than European and Persian ones.
Silkworms (caterpillars) emerge from the eggs, and all the attention of silk producers is focused on them. They grow in size very quickly, molting four times during their lifetime. The entire cycle of growth and development lasts from 26 to 32 days, depending on the conditions of detention: temperature, humidity, food quality, etc.
Silkworms feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree (mulberry), so silk production is possible only in places where it grows. When the time comes for pupation, the caterpillar weaves itself into a cocoon consisting of a continuous silk thread ranging from three hundred to one and a half thousand meters long. Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar transforms into a pupa. In this case, the color of the cocoon can be very different: yellowish, greenish, pinkish or some other. True, only silkworms with white cocoons are bred for industrial needs.
Ideally, the butterfly should emerge from the cocoon on days 15-18, however, unfortunately, it is not destined to survive until this time: the cocoon is placed in a special oven and kept for about two to two and a half hours at a temperature of 100 degrees Celsius. Of course, the pupa dies, and the process of unwinding the cocoon is greatly simplified. In China and Korea, fried dolls are eaten; in all other countries they are considered just “production waste.”
Sericulture has long been an important industry in China, Korea, Russia, France, Japan, Brazil, India and Italy. Moreover, about 60% of all silk production occurs in India and China.
Loading...
