23. Exemplar XX

 

The life history of silk moth or worm with the help of figures of various stages:-

 

 

The female silk moth lays eggslays mothlays pupalays larva. When an egg hatches, a tiny caterpillar crawls out. This is the cercariamaggotsilkwormcaterpillar or larva. The silkworm feeds on mulberry leaves and grows. It first weaves a net to hold itself when it is ready to enter the next stage in its life cycle. It then secretes a fibre made of proteinscellulosefiberscarbohydyrates, which hardens on exposure to air. This is the silk fibre. It covers itself entirely with this fibre to form a cocoonfiberyarnshell. At this stage, the larva is called a silverspupamothweb. The pupa grows and changes inside the cocoon. The cocoon opens a few weeks later, and an adult moth comes out.