Bombyx

Bombyx is the genus of true silk moths or mulberry silk moths of the family Bombycidae, also known as silkworms, which are the larvae or caterpillars of silk moths. The genus was erected as a subgenus^[2] by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th edition of Systema Naturae (1758).

Bombyx
Bombyx mori, the silk moth.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Bombycidae
Subfamily:	Bombycinae
Genus:	Bombyx Linnaeus, 1758[1]
Type species
Phalaena mori[2] Linnaeus, 1758
Synonyms
Theophila Moore, 1862

Etymology

The word bombyx comes from Ancient Greek βόμβυξ, which means "silk-worm" or "silk garment".^[3]

Species

• Bombyx horsfieldi (Moore, 1860)
• Bombyx huttoni Westwood, 1847
• Bombyx incomposita van Eecke, 1929
• Bombyx lemeepauli Lemée, 1950
• Bombyx mandarina (Moore, 1872) – wild silk moth
• Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758) – domestic silk moth
• Bombyx rotundapex Miyata & Kishida, 1990
• Bombyx shini Park and Sohn, 2002

Hybrids

Two instances of semi-natural hybridisation are known within this genus:^{[citation needed]}

• Bombyx hybrid, a hybrid between a male B. mandarina and a female B. mori
• Bombyx second hybrid, a hybrid between a male B. mori and a female B. mandarina

Food

The caterpillars feed on Moraceae, especially on mulberries (Morus species).^[4] Domestic silkworms may be fed artificial mulberry chow.