The silkworm is a domesticated moth species bred exclusively for silk production, the practice known as sericulture. It was domesticated in northern China more than 5,000 years ago, associated with the Yangshao culture, from the wild silk moth, whose range spans northern India to northern China, Korea, Japan and Russia's far east; a cocoon's single silk thread can measure 300 to about 900 meters. Unlike every other livestock entity on this atlas, the silkworm survives today almost entirely under human care, having lost the ability to fly and largely the instinct to feed itself. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Scientific Name Domestication RegionNorthern China (wild ancestor Bombyx mandarina ranges northern India to China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East) 2 Domesticated When (Circa)More than 5,000 years ago, associated with the Yangshao culture 2 Primary UsesSilk production (sericulture) 2 Era
Era (category) Connections
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Bombyx mori (Wikipedia)
lead: sericulture has existed for at least 5,000 years in ChinaView the Source 2. Silkworm (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundationlead section, DomesticationQuote, lead section, Domestication
The domestic silk moth was domesticated from the wild silk moth Bombyx mandarina, which has a range from northern India to northern China, Korea, Japan, and the far eastern regions of Russia.
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