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1
Life cycle of the silkworm (diagram)
The diagrams below show the life cycle of the silkworm and the stages in the production of
silk cloth.
The diagrams illustrate the stages in the life of a silkworm and the process of producing
silk cloth.
There are four main stages in
the life cycle of the silkworm, from eggs to adult moth. The
process of silk cloth production involves six steps, from silkworm
cocoon to silk
material.
At the first stage in the life cycle of a silkworm, the moth lays its eggs. Around ten days
later, silkworm
larvae hatch from the eggs; these larvae feed on mulberry leaves. Then,
after four to six weeks, the larvae become
covered in silk thread, and it takes between
three and eight days for a full cocoon to be produced.
For silk cloth
production, a cocoon is first selected and then boiled in water. After
boiling, the silk thread that makes up the cocoon is unwound, and then several
strands
of thread are twisted together. At the fifth and sixth stages in the process, the
thread can
either be dyed and then woven into silk fabric, or it can be woven first and then dyed
subsequently.
