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Description and photo of the silkworm caterpillar and butterfly. Silkworm

For many centuries, mankind has been familiar with silk, which is made from natural silk threads, which in turn are produced by silkworms. What are these insects? The silkworm is a butterfly that, at the stages of its development, turns from a caterpillar into a pupae, having previously twisted a cocoon from silk threads. In nature, there are close to a hundred species of silkworms. And they bring not only benefit, but also harm. Known pests include:

  • Nun;
  • Unpaired;
  • Ringed;
  • Pine marching silkworm.

Designated species are dangerous for forests and fruit trees in the garden. Caterpillars of the gypsy moth, the most common in nature. They are among the most common garden pests. For its entire period of active growth and nutrition, which is 30-50 days, the caterpillar can completely damage fruit crops, since only veins remain from the leaves. Timely pest control will help preserve the crop. How to recognize a gypsy moth? The caterpillar has a repulsive appearance (photo 1)

The length of her undulating body is 6-7 cm, it is covered with warts of blue and Brown color with hairs. Two longitudinal stripes of a light shade are visible on the back. There are several ways to deal with the gypsy moth caterpillar:

  • collect caterpillars;
  • destroy a clutch of butterflies;
  • treat foliage with special preparations.

Brings a big problem coniferous forest pine marching silkworm that feeds on needles (photo 2).

Its caterpillars during the period of active growth gather together, and this is up to 150-500 individuals and actively eat any needles for several days without stopping. They follow each other in a chain. There are cases when the leader of the chain goes astray and catches up with the last individual of his caravan, the chain closes and the movement begins in a circle. In this case, the caterpillars die of starvation. The hair on the body of the caterpillar is poisonous to both animals and humans, getting on the body of the poison causes inflammation. Pine marching caterpillars make cobweb nests and live in them. They can damage hectares of forest.

Unlike unpaired and pine, it is of great value silkworm- this is perhaps the only insect that is no longer found in nature, but bred in special plants, and even bring great benefits.

Silkworm. Breeding features

- this is an unsightly little butterfly with small wings of an off-white shade. However, despite having them, she can't fly at all. The insect has a rather strange appearance (photo 3), which does not correspond much to the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bbutterflies that we are used to.

Today, the following breeds of silkworms have been bred in a hybrid way:

  • monovoltine;
  • bivoltine;
  • multivoltine.

The main difference between them is the number of generations per year.

An adult butterfly has a very short term life, only 12 days. And during this time she eats nothing at all, because she does not have a mouth. The entire life cycle of a silkworm consists of the main stages:

  • egg;
  • caterpillar;
  • chrysalis;
  • butterfly.

The eggs are elliptical in shape, slightly flattened on the sides. Caterpillars emerge from them, which grow quickly and eat a lot. They feed exclusively on mulberry leaves (photo 4)

And for the entire period of their growth, and this is 25-30 days, they eat up to 30 grams. Caterpillars feed on special conditions: a ventilated and warm room, in special trays, in the form of successively arranged shelves. The growth of the caterpillar can be divided into 5 periods, between which it eats a lot, molts and grows, increasing in size and weight, from 2 mm to 88 mm and up to 4 grams. Only after the fourth molt, the silk gland located on the lower lip is filled in the caterpillar, with the help of which a paired thread is released into liquid state. With the help of such a thread, a cocoon is curled, which is actively wound up within 3-4 days. To help caterpillars, special bases are provided for obtaining a cocoon, as shown in photo 5.

This process takes up to one and a half kilometers of silk thread. Already in the cocoon, the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis, which after 14-20 days turns into a butterfly. And the whole process is repeated.

Cocoons differ in both size and shape, as well as color. They can be:

  • white;
  • golden;
  • lemon yellow;
  • with a reddish or greenish tint;
  • the color of the cocoon depends on the breed of silkworm.

Pearl-white cocoons, only a breed of silkworm with striped caterpillars gives (photo 6)

The most valuable are male butterflies, it is their caterpillars that produce the best cocoons, they are much denser, respectively, more thread is spent on it.

To obtain a silk thread, cocoons are used only during the period when the chrysalis has not yet turned into a butterfly and has not damaged it. There are several ways to process cocoons, this is steaming, and placing in a special brazier, under the influence high temperatures pupae freeze, by the way, in China, and in many other Asian countries, they are eaten, and the cocoon remains in perfect condition, it is soaked and unwound on special installations.

Finally

The silkworm is actively bred in warm time years, in winter, eggs (grain) are stored at a low temperature, and with the advent of spring they are gradually warmed up and laid in an incubator.

Silk of the highest quality is obtained from silkworm cocoons. However, there are types of silkworms that produce threads for making dense loafer silk and flail.

it moth related to volnyanka family.

It is quite large in size, and the female differs significantly from the male in size, shape and color.

Thanks to this fact, the gypsy moth got its name.

The wingspan of the female is about 8 cm. On her yellowish-white forewings, transverse wavy stripes of a dark brown color are clearly expressed. The paws and antennae of the female are black, and the thick abdomen is grayish-brown. Its tip is strongly pubescent.

The male gypsy moth can be recognized by its unusual dark gray antennae, shaped like feathers. The span of its yellow-gray wings reaches no more than 4.5 cm. Broad stripes and spots of a darker color are visible on the front wings. The abdomen of the male is thin with a brush of hairs at the tip.

Reference- Due to the unusual structure of the antennae, the male gypsy moth butterfly is able to locate the female 11 km away!

Butterfly eggs are colored first yellow and then pinkish white. Their shape is round and slightly flattened, and the diameter is not more than 1.2 mm. Hairy brownish-gray caterpillars are distinguished by the fact that on their backs there are 11 pairs of red and blue warts, each of which is covered with a tuft of hair. The size of the caterpillars reaches 7.5 cm.

gypsy moth overwinters in the egg stage. In early spring caterpillars are born from them, which, crawling through the trees, begin to actively feed on buds, leaves, buds and flowers. Thanks to the hairiness and with the help of the wind, caterpillars are able to cover distances of about 12 km in search of food. They feed heavily for two months, and then weave cocoons in the cracks of the bark or between the leaves and pupate.

Two weeks later, in July-August, butterflies hatch from cocoons. After mating, they lay their eggs on the bark of tree trunks, stumps, among stones and at the bottom of fences.

The butterfly mixes eggs with a grayish fluff, as a result of which the clutches become like yellowish-gray pads up to 3 cm in diameter, completely covered with hairs.

Females are very prolific and are able to lay up to 1200 eggs, several hundred in each clutch. It is worth saying that gypsy moth eggs are very hardy and winter well with low temperatures .

A photo

Now you can look at the gypsy moth in the photo:



ringed

This is a small beige butterfly from the family of cocoonworms with a wingspan of no more than 4 cm. There is a dark stripe on the front wings. Butterfly eggs are lead-gray, cylindrical in shape. The color of the cover of the caterpillar is gray-blue with a clearly defined white line along the middle of the back and orange and black-blue on the sides. The length of the caterpillar is about 6 cm. It is densely covered with short velvety, as well as long, sparse hairs.

The female ringed silkworm lays up to 400 eggs around shoots, twigs or leaf petioles. The masonry looks like a wide ring, wrapping the escape. For such a characteristic form of oviposition, the ringed silkworm got its name.

Caterpillars emerge from the eggs remaining to overwinter in the spring during the swelling of the buds. Actively feeding, they go through 5 stages of molting. Caterpillars usually eat at night and live in colonies., during the day accumulating in the forks of thick branches and arranging nests woven from cobwebs there. After about 45 days in early June, the caterpillars move into rolled leaves, braid them with a strong cocoon, climb inside and turn into a chrysalis. After a couple of weeks, a butterfly flies out of the cocoon.

A photo




Close relatives of pests

Silkworms have several morphologically similar species: the ringed one has poplar and euphorbia cocoonworms, the unpaired one has the golden silkworm, otherwise called the goldtail. These butterflies are similar in appearance, but differ somewhat in size and color shades.

Geographic distribution


The habitat of the gypsy moth is all of Europe to the southern regions of Finland and Scandinavia, as well as North America, North Africa, Japan and the countries of Asia Minor.

In Russia, the pest is common in the south and throughout the territory where oak grows.

It is also found in Siberia, the Baikal region (55–57° northern latitude), on the Far East.

The ringed silkworm is common in Europe, with the exception of Far North, in South and North Korea, Japan, northern China. On the territory of Russia, he lives in the Far East and Siberia.

What are dangerous?

Both species are pests of both deciduous and fruit crops. They are capable of harming more than 300 species of trees. Of the fruit crops, the gypsy moth prefers cherries, plums, pears and apples, while the ringed moth prefers only apples. .

The danger to the garden is precisely the caterpillars that feed on leaves, young buds and flowers.

One silkworm caterpillar can eat up to 30 young leaves in two months of its development. With mass accumulation and without timely protection measures, voracious pests leave the tree absolutely without foliage. As a result, the plant dries up and dies. Five or six clutches of silkworm eggs on one tree is a serious threat to him.

Prevention and control of gypsy moth


The fight against the silkworm begins with regular inspection apple trees and other fruit trees in autumn and early spring.

The ovipositions found are carefully collected and burned. They can also be buried in the ground half a meter deep.

Shoots with spiral clutches of the ringed silkworm are cut out and also burned.

Hatched caterpillars are harvested by hand. The young generation of the ringed silkworm can be easily found on the forks of branches in the morning. Also effective glue traps attached to the bottom of the trunk. They prevent the spread of pests from clutches located at the roots.

Reference- When collecting caterpillars, it is advisable to wear gloves on your hands, as the hairline of insects is poisonous and can cause an allergic reaction.

At mass attack gypsy moth trees are sprayed with insecticides such as Antio, Zolon, Karbofos, Metation or Phosphamide. Treatments are carried out during the period when the caterpillars rise to the crown, and at the end of their migration. It is not recommended to process trees during flowering, because chemicals can harm beneficial pollinating insects.

The following biological products are also used against the pest: Lepidocide, Dendrobacilin, Entobacterin, Bitoxibacillin. They spray trees during the appearance of caterpillars. A week later, the treatment is repeated.

The use of biological products requires certain conditions: air temperature from 18 to 25 ° C, and humidity - at least 60%.

In summer, during the setting and ripening of fruits, it is better to use harmless folk methods. A saturated solution of coniferous concentrate effectively repels pests (4 tablespoons per 10 liters of water). This solution can be sprayed trees several times. Caterpillars are also afraid of infusion of wormwood, rotten hay, tomato tops, mustard.

Pests that have made their way into the crown can knock down a tree with a strong jet of water, collect them from the ground and destroy them. Effectively save trees from caterpillars and natural enemies insects - birds. To attract birds to the garden, you need place several birdhouses on the site.

As you can see, unpaired and ringed silkworms are able to inflict on the orchard big damage. To cope with pests or even prevent their spread, it is important to notice the danger in time and take all necessary measures.

Useful video

Visually familiarize yourself with gypsy moth You can in the video below:

Class - Insects

Detachment - Lepidoptera

Family - silkworms

Genus/Species - bombyx mori

Basic data:

DIMENSIONS

Length: caterpillar - 8.5 cm.

Wingspan: 5 cm

Wings: Two pairs.

Mouth apparatus: the caterpillar has one pair of jaws, while the adult butterfly has atrophied mouthparts.

BREEDING

Number of eggs: 300-500.

Development: from egg to pupa - time depends on temperature; from pupa to hatching butterfly 2-3 weeks.

LIFE STYLE

Habits: mulberry silkworm (see photo) is a domesticated insect species.

What does it eat: mulberry leaves.

Lifespan: an adult silkworm lives 3-5 days, a caterpillar - 4-6 weeks.

RELATED SPECIES

There are about 300 species of silkworms in the world, such as oak Chinese silkworm and atlas.

The ancient Chinese domesticated the silkworm 4,500 years ago. They obtained silk from cocoons woven by silkworm caterpillars to turn into an adult butterfly. A beautifully woven cocoon of a silkworm is formed by a single silk thread, the length of which can reach one kilometer.

SILKMOTH AND MAN

A natural fiber called silk is also produced by many other types of insects, but only the silkworm produces enough of it. in large numbers and also different high quality, therefore it is advantageous to breed the silkworm in captivity. The ancient Chinese invented a way to unwind the fiber and turn it into a strong thread. The first silk products appeared from the cocoons of wild silkworms. However, soon the Chinese began to breed them in artificial conditions and sought to choose as large and heavy cocoons as possible for further breeding. As a result of such attempts, modern silkworms were bred, which are much larger than their own. wild ancestors. True, they do not know how to fly and are completely dependent on humans.

Silkworm cocoons are softened with hot steam, put in hot water, and then unwound at special factories, getting yarn. To make fabrics, the threads are always twisted several threads together because they are very thin.

LIFE CYCLE

The silkworm is currently not found in the wild. The ancient Chinese domesticated the silkworm 4,500 years ago. Since all this time a careful selection of individuals was carried out for their further breeding in captivity, the modern silkworm is much larger than its distant ancestor. Also, he is unable to fly. The caterpillar reaches its maximum dimensions six weeks after birth. Before the formation of a cocoon, she stops feeding, becomes restless, crawls back and forth in search of a convenient place to securely attach herself. Attached to the stem, the caterpillar begins to spin a silk cocoon. Silk fiber is a secretion of paired arachnoid glands, which are located in several longitudinal folds on the body of the caterpillar and reach its lower lip. When turning into a chrysalis, the caterpillar releases one whole thread up to 1 kilometer long, which it wraps around itself. Silkworm cocoons can be different color- yellowish, white, bluish, pink or greenish. After the transformation of the caterpillar into a chrysalis, the next stage begins - the transformation into an adult butterfly.

WHAT DOES IT FEED

Caterpillars should eat almost continuously. They feed on mulberry leaves, eating them at an incredible rate.

The caterpillar, born from an egg, has a length of 0.3 cm and weighs 0.0004 g, and after a while its length is already up to 8.5 cm, and its weight is 3.5 g. Sometimes the caterpillars also eat the leaves of other plants . However, observations have shown that caterpillars that are fed a mixed diet grow much more slowly, and the quality of the silk fiber they produce changes - the thread becomes thicker than that of caterpillars that were fed only mulberry leaves. Caterpillars grow up to 6 weeks, then they stop eating and spin a cocoon, inside which they turn into an imago (adult).

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Now cheap synthetic fabrics have greatly supplanted natural silk, and yet products made from it, as before, remain popular.

As early as 4,000 years ago, silkworms were bred in China to produce silk. For a long time already, this moth and its larvae cannot exist without human help. Adult insects have completely lost the ability to fly, and caterpillars would rather die of starvation than crawl in search of suitable food. For more than 2,000 years, China has maintained a monopoly on sericulture. For any attempt to take out grena (silkworm egg laying), the death penalty threatened. There was an ancient caravan route, which was called - "The Great Silk Road". The fact is that silk fabrics were very much appreciated in the countries of Europe and the Middle East. And not only for the beauty of silk clothes. The most important thing is that in such clothes a person was less bothered by lice and fleas! That is why for many centuries the silk trade has been the main source of income for the people of China. In 552, the pilgrim monks managed to deliver the silkworm to Constantinople. Then Emperor Justinian issued a special order, which he ordered to engage in sericulture in Byzantine Empire. China's monopoly on silk has come to an end. AT Western Europe they began to breed silkworms in 1203-1204, when the Venetians, after the IV Crusade, brought silkworm gren to their homeland.

INTERESTING FACTS. DO YOU KNOW WHAT...

  • The annual production of raw silk is about 45 thousand tons. The main producers are Japan and China, South Korea, Uzbekistan and India.
  • According to legend, the silkworm came to Europe thanks to two monks who hid it in a reed.
  • Legend has it that China lost its monopoly on silk production in 400 AD, when a Chinese princess married an Indian raja while leaving her country and secretly took silkworm eggs with her.
  • Silk from silkworm threads is called "noble" silk.
  • Silk yarn is made from the silk of the Chinese oak silkworm (Chinese oak saturnia).

LIFE CYCLE OF THE SILKMOTH

Eggs: the female lays up to 500 eggs per leaf and dies soon after.

Larvae, hatched from eggs, black, covered with hairs. Hatching time depends on temperature.

Caterpillar: during development, the larva molts several times until it is white and smooth, without eyelashes.

Cocoon: the caterpillar intensively feeds on leaves for 6 weeks, and then begins to look for a suitable twig. On it she spins a cocoon, from silk, with which she surrounds herself.

Adult silkworm: the butterfly mates shortly after emerging from the cocoon. The female secretes a special substance with a strong odor, which the male catches. By smell, with the help of special hairs on enlarged antennae, the male determines the location of the female.


WHERE Dwells

The silkworm is native to Asia. Nowadays, silkworms are grown in Japan and China. There are many farms in India, Turkey, Pakistan, as well as in France and Italy.

PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION

The ancient Chinese domesticated the silkworm 4,500 years ago. Now the silkworm is bred on special farms.

Animals in history. Silkworm. Video (00:24:27)

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The silkworm is a long-forgotten business, but nowadays it does not have much competition ... And silk, as before, has a high cost ...

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The life of a silkworm

Man learned many years ago about the possibility of secreting silk from these butterflies. That is why the silkworm was domesticated by humans about 5,000 years ago. This ugly-looking, large, white-colored butterfly that cannot fly is the only insect that does not occur naturally.

Many scientists believe that the silkworm in the past in wild nature existed in the Himalayas. Then for the first time it was domesticated in China. Now this butterfly brings great benefits to a person who, in turn, cares for her. To date, the silkworm is bred in China, Indonesia, Japan, and Brazil. Many hybrids of these butterflies have also been bred, which differ in productivity, technical specifications threads.

Silkworm caterpillars hatch from eggs. The female lays eggs in summer. Silkworm eggs are called grains. They are very small in size, reach a length of only 1-1.5 mm, have a round, flattened shape, have a yellowish tint. The laying of silkworm eggs is quite large. A fertilized female can lay between 400 and 800 eggs, which feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree.

Grens develop quickly and after about 5 weeks small worms hatch, which are very voracious. They entangle themselves with a thin thread, it takes an average of 6 days, a cocoon is formed, inside of which a caterpillar appears, which breaks the cocoon, and a butterfly already emerges from it. Interesting feature these butterflies - the silkworm can often develop eggs without fertilization.

Since the silkworm can be grown in households, very often for many who want to engage in this production, the question arises of where to buy silkworm eggs. To date, it is not difficult to buy them, since mulberry production is available in many countries of the world, which were mentioned above.

As mentioned earlier, the laying of silkworm eggs is quite large, and due to the fact that grenas eat leaves day and night, they grow very quickly and caterpillars develop rapidly. Thanks to this, silk production is quite efficient and profitable business. Of course, in the 21st century, in connection with the emergence of various synthetic fabrics, the question arises of whether silk production is relevant now in the form that is organized at the moment.

An interesting feature is the fact that the silkworm cocoons from which the males emerge produce more silk. Soviet scientist Astaurov B.L. worked on increasing the productivity of butterflies. And thanks to the use of X-rays and many other methods, he managed to ensure that more males hatched from cocoons. As a result, silk production improved significantly and increased.

The silkworm has an important economic importance in human life - the production of such an important product in the world as silk. Therefore, many tend to engage in sericulture and more and more silkworm breeding households have begun to appear. Anyone can order a silkworm from any corner of the world without any problems and start building their business.

The silkworm or mulberry worm belongs to the silkworm family. This type of insect got its name because of the feeding habits. The silkworm can only feed on the leaves of the mulberry tree. The silkworm is a fully domesticated insect and is not found in the wild today. The ancestors of the silkworm are considered wild mulberry worms, which were tamed and domesticated long before our era in China.

The silkworm is pretty large insects. Adults can reach 6 cm in wingspan. 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. The female after mating lays about 500 eggs, which eventually turn into a caterpillar. Caterpillars grow quite quickly and shed their skin several times.

Silkworm caterpillars are often called mulberry worms due to their appearance. The view of the silkworm caterpillar can be seen in the photo. Caterpillars feed on mulberry leaves without interruption throughout the day. Thanks to such intensive nutrition, 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, with difficulty turning their heads. A slowdown in activity indicates preparation for pupation. The caterpillar begins to produce a continuous silk thread, forming a dense cocoon around itself. Inside the cocoon, silkworm pupae are formed. 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 come in different colors - greenish, yellow, pink and white. The cocoon is fully formed in 2-3 days. After about 2-3 weeks, a butterfly emerges from the cocoon. But in the production breeding of silkworms, they do not wait for the butterfly to emerge from the cocoon. The pupated caterpillars are placed for a couple of hours in 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 they are simply not able to eat food. Butterflies can live without food for several days. This period is just enough to lay eggs.

There are several types of silkworm depending on the habitat.

Types of mulberry worms:

Japanese;
Chinese;
Korean;
Indian;
European;
Persian;
mulberry worms different types differ in size of individuals, as well as in color. Cocoons also differ in size, shape and amount of silk. Different types of silkworms are characterized by different duration of the ripening period and frequency of yield.

Sericulture

Most often, mulberry worms are used in sericulture. Silk production dates back to ancient times and occupied an important place in the economy of Eastern countries. Today, the main silk producing countries are India and China. Also, mulberry worms are quite widely bred in Europe, in Korea, India and Russia.

AT production purposes mulberry worms with white cocoons are bred. Most often, Japanese, Chinese and European types of silkworms are bred in production. With the development of silkworms, new mestizo breeds of mulberry worms are constantly being bred.

In large industries, mulberry eggs are grown in special incubators, where they turn into larvae in a couple of days. The larvae are then placed in special mulberry leaf feeders where they feed and grow. After the larvae grow up, 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 the head to the sides, the larvae form a frame, and then crawl inward, and complete the formation of a cocoon.

To obtain a silk thread in production, they do not wait until a moth is born. After a couple of days, pupated individuals are collected and steamed. When steamed, the larvae inside die and the threads are easier to unwind. After the steam, the cocoons are dipped into boiling water, which makes the thread more pliable.

AT Eastern countries breeding of silkworms at home 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 product, such as a dress. Silk products are very expensive, which is associated with the laborious process of obtaining silk threads. With the development of technology, synthetic threads come to replace silk. But reviews about the characteristics of natural silk do not require additional comments. Natural fabric has a special richness and charm, and silk thread products 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 after immersion in water become sticky, which is associated with the dissolution of sericin. Sericin moisturizes the skin and also prevents the formation of wrinkles. Well-moisturized skin ages more slowly.

Mulberry cocoons can be used for the peeling procedure. Silk thread fibers well exfoliate 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 cocoons from which a butterfly flew out.

The photo shows how the larvae are taken out of the cocoon through the hole.

According to women, using cocoons is very simple and convenient. They are dressed for index fingers and drive along the massage lines of the face. Before the procedure, the face must be cleaned and washed with warm water. Before peeling, silk fibers must be soaked in water. Top Reviews about the effectiveness of the use of silkworm cocoons, people leave after a course of several peeling procedures.

Silk thread fibers do a good job with enlarged pores and black dots. Before the peeling procedure, the skin of the face must be cleaned 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.