Silkworms

🔤 Taxonomy

Bombyx mori is the accepted scientific name used for this feeder guide.

Common names used in the feeder trade:

• Silkworm
• Silkworm larva

📌 Description

Silkworms are soft, slow-moving moth larvae that make excellent occasional or rotation feeders for many reptiles and amphibians. They are usually easier to digest than hard beetle larvae, but they depend on clean mulberry-based food and spoil quickly when warm and dirty.

Silkworms are useful because they are soft and their gut content is predictable when they are raised on mulberry leaves or clean chow. Do not treat them like generalist larvae: random leaves, dirty chow, and warm stale cups ruin them quickly.

🌍 Distribution

The domesticated silkworm is derived from Asian wild silkmoths and has been maintained by humans for thousands of years. Captive feeder lines should be treated as domestic production animals rather than wildlife for release.

For keeper practice, biosecurity matters more than a precise range map: commercial feeder and cleanup-culture invertebrates are moved far outside their natural ranges, and escaped animals should never be released or treated as harmless.

⚖️ Regulations and safety

Bombyx mori is not listed in the CITES Appendices in the official CITES checklist reviewed for this guide. No specific EU wildlife trade Annex listing was found for the species.

The EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation restricts species on the Union list; this guide does not treat Bombyx mori as a Union-list species. Local and national rules can still restrict live invertebrate imports, transport, breeding, sale, use in schools or workplaces, and disposal.

The Bern Convention is not normally relevant because this is not a European native protected-species care issue. Keep cultures secure, never release live feeders, and freeze surplus or unwanted invertebrates before disposal where local rules allow.

🤌 Husbandry

Silkworm husbandry is mostly food hygiene. Use shallow, ventilated containers, keep larvae on clean chow or mulberry leaves, remove waste before it stays damp, and avoid heat spikes in crowded cups.

Good setup:

• Smooth-sided plastic tub, cup, or ventilated culture box
• Fine mesh or fabric ventilation sized for the feeder
• Dry food or base medium separated from wet food where possible
• Sorting container for feeding and cleaning
• Clear date labels for cultures and purchased batches

💡 Lighting

Feeder invertebrates do not need UVB. A normal room day-night rhythm is enough. Keep cultures out of direct sun because small containers overheat quickly.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Recommended ranges:

• Holding larvae: 22-26°C
• Fast growth: 25-28°C
• Egg incubation: 25-28°C
• Avoid stale wet food and heat spikes

💧 Humidity and water

Moisture should be controlled rather than stagnant. Remove moldy food quickly, keep dry foods dry, and give moisture from safe foods or a small controlled damp area.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use enough surface area and ventilation to prevent crowding, condensation, and odor. Keep cultures simple so dead animals, spoiled food, and mites can be spotted quickly. Clean small holding tubs between batches and refresh long-term cultures before they collapse.

🪳 Feeding

Useful foods:

• Fresh mulberry leaves when available
• Prepared silkworm chow mixed and stored cleanly
• No random leaves or pesticide-treated plant material

Use fresh mulberry leaves or correctly mixed silkworm chow, and keep food surfaces clean. A short holding period on clean food is more important than generic gut-loading; dusty, sour, or dried-out larvae should not be offered.

🥚 Breeding

Breeding requires healthy larvae, cocooning space, adult moths, and clean egg incubation. For most keepers, buying eggs or small batches is easier than maintaining a continuous line.

Do not let breeding goals override feeder quality. Cultures that smell sour, contain many dead animals, or show heavy mites should not be used for sensitive animals.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems:

• Mold from excess moisture or stale food
• Mites from damp waste and old cultures
• Escape through poor lids or oversized ventilation mesh
• Nutritional imbalance when one feeder is used alone
• Predator injury or impaction risk when feeders are oversized
• Culture crashes from heat, crowding, pesticides, or contamination

📌 Conclusion

Silkworms suit keepers who want a soft rotation feeder and can manage clean food every day. Most losses come from stale chow, damp waste, overheating, or unsafe leaves.

📚 Sources and further reading

• GBIF taxonomy: Bombyx mori
• CITES Appendices
• European Commission: invasive alien species