Save Big on Coursera Plus. 7,000+ courses at $160 off. Limited Time Only!
The silk is obtained from both insect and non-insect fauna. The insect fauna mainly comprises of mulberry and non-mulberry silkworms. In India, mulberry silk contribute to an extent of 75% and it is a natural fibre used in textile industry. It is soft, smooth and lustrous and holds a prestigious place among textile fibres and commonly called as the ‘Queen of Textiles’. Mulberry silkworm is a monophagous insect, which feeds only on mulberry leaves. Mulberry includes number of species and varieties specific to type of mulberry cultivation, silkworm rearing type, silkworm races used for rearing and climatic conditions of the place. Mulberry sericulture involves the cultivation of mulberry plants to produce leaves, that fed to silkworm, inturn silkworms produce the cocoons at the end of their larval life. The cocoons are the raw material for silk production that comprises reeling of cocoons by different reeling machines of commercial importance suitable for particular type of cocoons used and weaving to convert yarn/silk thread into fabrics.