Answer» - Sericulture is the rearing of silkworms (moths) for production of silk.
- Bombyx mori is the most commonly used variety of silkworm for this purpose.
- The life cycle of silkworm consist of four stages namely egg, larva, pupa and adult.
- Thousands of eggs deposited by female moths are incubated artificially to shorten the incubation period.
- Larvae hatching out of eggs are released on mulberry plants.
- Larvae are nourished by feeding on mulberry leaves.
- After feeding for 3-4 days, larvae move to branches of mulberry plant.
- The silk thread is formed from the secretion of their salivary glands.
- Larvae spin this thread around themselves to form a cocoon. The cocoon may be spherical in nature.
- Ten days before the pupa turns into an adult, all the cocoons are transferred into boiling water.
- Due to the boiling water, the pupa dies in the cocoon and silk fibres become loose.
- These fibres are unwound, processed and reeled. Various kinds of fabric is woven from silk threads.
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