Bombyx mori the molecular identification of the first known pheromone, bombykol, which required extracts from 500,000 individuals, due to the very small quantities of pheromone produced by any individual worm. Currently, research is focusing on genetics of silkworms and the possibility of genetic engineering. Many hundreds of strains are maintained, and over 400 Mendelian mutations have been described. Another source suggests 1,000 inbred domesticated strains are kept worldwide. One useful development for the silk industry is silkworms that can feed on food other than mulberry leaves, including an artificial diet. Research on the genome also raises the possibility of genetically engineering silkworms
Bombyx hybrid have to be kept in the same container. Since "Bombyx" hybrids are much more common than the other variation more is known about them. The domesticated silkworm ("B. mori") was domesticated from wild silkworm ("B. mandarina") more than 5,000 years ago. Bombyx hybrid The "Bombyx" hybrid is a hybrid between a female "Bombyx mori" moth and a male "Bombyx mandarina" moth. They produce silkworm larvae like all species of "Bombyx". The larvae look a lot like the other variations. They are brown in the first half and gray at the bottom half, but they get larger black spots than other