Silkworm lifecycle: worm to cocoon

This video shows from small worms to cocoon.

Here is a video of a moth emerging from the cocoon:
   • Silk moth emerging from cocoon  

And finally, moths mating:
   • Silk moths mating  
   • Silk moths mating 2  

Recap of the silkworm/moth lifecycle:

Starting from tiny eggs from the previous year, about 1 mm in diameter, hatch tiny little black thread-like worms 1-2mm long. The worms only eat Mulberry tree leaves, and over about 4 weeks, grow fat and plump to a size similar to an adult middle finger. Then over several days they spin cocoons around them from their saliva which becomes a continuous strand of silk over a mile long. In captivity, one of two things happens next. In order to harvest and use the long unbroken silk strand, the moth inside must be killed, typically by boiling. (I don't do that!) The alternative is to let the moths emerge after about 2 weeks. The act of the moth emerging from the cocoon effectively breaks the single silk strand into many short pieces, making it much less valuable and useful. Domesticated silk moths are not capable of flight, though they may beat their wings furiously as they walk around or mate. After mating, female moths will lay hundreds of eggs before dying within a few days. If stored in a cool place the eggs will stay unhatched until the next spring, when we can again enjoy this ~7 week diversion and give away as many worms as interested neighbors want...

This was just a small scale hobby at home, but here is a good video showing how the big silk industry works in Vietnam:

   • How Mountains Of Worm Cocoons Are Turned I...