Silk Moths Cannot Survive Alone

The domestic silk moth, Bombyx mori, no longer exists in the wild and is entirely dependent on humans for survival. Humans domesticated it from the wild silk moth Bombyx mandarina in China more than 5,000 years ago, then selectively bred it for silk production. Over millennia, it lost its native camouflage pigments and ability to fly, leaving males dependent on human help to find mates.

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