Question

A silkworm is
A) Caterpillar
B) A larvae
C) Both (A) & (B)
D) Neither (A) nor (B)

Answer 1

Hint: Silkworm is used in silk production also known as sericulture for thousands of years. However, it is native to China, silkworm has been introduced to the whole world and has been domesticated so much that it is not seen in the wild now.

Complete answer:
A silkworm is a moth whose larva spins a good quantity of silk while constructing it’s cocoon. It is economically a very important insect. Silkworm prefer white mulberry leaves though they also consume other mulberry species and also Osage orange. The dependence of domestic silk moths is entirely on humans for the process of reproduction, as a result of selective breeding that has been done for years now.

The eggs of the female silk moth hatch and turn into larvae. These larvae of the female moths are also called as caterpillars or the silkworms. These silkworms later grow and lead the pupa stage where the secretion of the fiber takes place. This fiber when exposed to air finally converts into silk which is used in various ways throughout the world.

From the above discussion, it is clear that silkworm is both a caterpillar as well as a larva and so option (C) is the right answer.

Note: Female silkworm lay around 300 to 500 eggs, that hatch roughly in 7 to 14 days at a temperature of about 24° to 29° C. The silkworm moth is found in Bombycidae family and the wild silk moth is its closest relative.