Bombyx

Bombyx is a genus of moths in the family Bombycidae, within the order Lepidoptera. The most notable member is Bombyx mori, the domesticated silkmoth used for silk production for thousands of years. The genus also includes several wild species, with Bombyx mandarina commonly cited as the wild ancestor of the domestic silkworm. Genetic evidence supports a close relationship between domesticated B. mori and B. mandarina, reflecting a history of domestication and ongoing gene flow in some regions.

Life cycle and biology: Like other moths, Bombyx species undergo complete metamorphosis. Females lay eggs that hatch into larvae (silkworms). The larvae feed primarily on mulberry leaves and grow through several instars before entering the pupal stage, during which a silken cocoon is produced. In sericulture, cocoons are typically harvested and subjected to processing to unwind long fibers of silk. Adult moths generally live briefly and, in many domesticated forms, have reduced or nonfunctional mouthparts and do not feed. Reproduction concludes the cycle and restarts the generation.

Economic and research significance: Bombyx mori is the central species in silk production and has been extensively domesticated and bred for fiber yield and quality. Beyond industry, the silkworm is a widely used model organism in genetics, developmental biology, and genomics; its genome has been sequenced and many research tools have been developed to study insect biology and silk protein synthesis.

Distribution and habitat: Wild species of Bombyx occur in parts of Asia. Domestic B. mori populations are raised globally in controlled environments for silk farming, while wild relatives remain important for conservation and evolutionary studies.