Bombyx mori the larva, sericulture has been criticized by animal welfare and rights activists. Mahatma Gandhi was critical of silk production based on the Ahimsa philosophy "not to hurt any living thing". This led to Gandhi's promotion of cotton spinning machines, an example of which can be seen at the Gandhi Institute. He also promoted Ahimsa silk, wild silk made from the cocoons of wild and semiwild silkmoths. The moth – the adult phase of the lifecycle – is not capable of functional flight, in contrast to the wild "B. mandarina" and other "Bombyx" species, whose males fly to meet females and
The Silkworm to stage his disappearance, rewrote "Bombyx Mori", killed Quine and framed Leonora for the crime. Tassel attempts to flee the party only to be quickly caught and arrested, which Strike and Robin planned in advance. Sometime later, Leonora is released from prison, Fancourt acknowledges the original "Bombyx Mori" manuscript's literary value, and Strike tells Robin that he enrolled her in investigative training courses as a Christmas gift. Much like "The Cuckoo's Calling", "The Silkworm" was met with critical acclaim, selling more copies than its predecessor in its opening weeks. Val McDermid from "The Guardian" gave the novel a positive review,