Unravelling Silk Thread From Cocoons, Silk Factory, Suzhou China Editorial Image

Unravelling silk thread from silk worm cocoons, traditional silk factory, Suzhou China. The silkworm is actually the larvae, or caterpillar stage, in the life cycle of the silkworm moth. If allowed to develop from pupa, and not destroyed at this stage in the cycle so that silk can be created, the caterpillar will develop into a creamy white Bombyx mori moth.nTo produce silk they are boiled or gassed alive inside their cocoons, the cocoons begin unravelling so that workers can obtain the silk threads. Some 6,600 silkworms are killed to make just 1 kilogram of silk.