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from | Encarta |  |
Oak Silkworm Cocoon |
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| The caterpillar that spun this cocoon is related to the Chinese moths used in most commercial silk production. As its name suggests, the oak silkworm, Antheraea harti, feeds on and spins its cocoon in the leaves of oak trees. Silkworms spin their cocoons from a single thread that, unwound, can measure half a mile (.8 km) long. Moths have developed various aids for breaking out of the hardened cocoon, among them a specialized filelike structure that cuts through the fibers. | ||||||
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| Dorling Kindersley | ||||||
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| Appears in these articles: | ||||||
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| Silkworm; Cocoon | ||||||
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