No one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced
David Attenborough
About Silkmoths and their relatives
For millennia, humans have used silkmoths to produce silk clothing. The commercially most important species is the true silkworm Bombyx mori, which has been domesticated for over 5000 years. Mori has relatives though, quite many of them. More then 8 000 to be more precise, divided in two what is called superfamilies: the Bombycoidea and the Lasiocampoidea. These superfamilies consist of a number of families like for example the Giant Silkmoths, the Hawkmoths and the Lappets.
Recently added species
Caterpillars of the world
Rearing Silkmoths
There are so many species to choose from ... where do you start? Not by buying eggs or cocoons on Facebook or a specialized website. Rearing Silkmoths starts on your couch with reading as much as you can. Before you buy your first species, you need to know everything there's to know about them. Where do they come from? What do they eat? What temperature do they like? The best way to get your newly bought animals killed, is by not knowing anything about them.
Keep in mind that you are dealing with living animals. If you do not want to spend time with them, then don't bother. There is no day off until the caterpillars have pupated, no rest, no I do it tomorrow. Cages need to be cleaned, food needs to be replaced (daily or every other day when placed in water). It takes time and effort to go from egg to a beautiful moth.
But, if you're willing to go through all this trouble, then rearing Silkmoths is something for you. Around 8 000 species to choose from. A species for every level, whether you are an absolute novice or an experienced breeder.
