Silk Silk Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin and is produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm "Bombyx mori" reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmering appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fibre, which allows silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors. Silk is produced by several insects, like silk worms but generally only
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