|What about this for a cuddly little fellow. Amazing closeups of the Silk Moth.|
The silkworm is the larva stage of the silk moth's life cycle. Moths lay eggs which develop into the silkworm larvae. They eat for 20-30 days, consuming large amounts of mulberry leaves, and molt through four changes of skin. The silkworm spins a cocoon for protection, to permit the development of the pupa or chrysalis, which takes about three days to be fully completed, and is a similar size to a peanut shell.
|The moths mate and the females lay 300, to more than 350 eggs, then die.
In the wild this cycle occurs once a year, but under controlled scientific breeding it can occur up to three times in one year.