Livestock
Silkworm
Also Known As Domestic Silk Moth
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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.
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Scientific Name Domestication RegionNorthern China (wild ancestor Bombyx mandarina ranges northern India to China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East) 1 Domesticated When (Circa)More than 5,000 years ago, associated with the Yangshao culture 1 Primary UsesSilk production (sericulture) 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
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