Silk Moth, Bombyx Mori, Sem
by Meckes/ottawa
Title
Silk Moth, Bombyx Mori, Sem
Artist
Meckes/ottawa
Medium
Photograph - Photograph
Description
Color-enhanced SEM of a silk moth, showing feelers and large compound eyes. The most famous caterpillar in the world is the silk worm (Bombyx mori). More than 4,000 years ago, the Chinese began to breed and domesticate them, because the material they use to spin their cocoons for pupation is unique a strand of silk, ten times thinner than the human hair and three kilometers long. What is more, it is tear-proof and elastic. If not utilized for the production of silk, the cocoon opens and out slips a hairy butterfly (Bombyx mori) with small eyes but very large antennas that are highly sensitive to smells. Just a few scent molecules are enough to put the men in the mood for mating. Whirring excitedly, they crawl onto the females - in the 4,000 years of their breading history, flying has been unlearnt. In the wilderness, silk worms would be lost. Magnification 13x at an image size of 15x15 cm.
Uploaded
May 19th, 2021
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