$JES 921 Book of Compassion Reverence For All Life Reference Book

Author(s): Pramoda Chitrabhanu, Pravin K Shah
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 52

9 - STORY OF SILK
The female moth lays about 400-600 eggs. The eggs hatch in about 10 days and the larvae (1/12 inch in length) emerge. They are fed on mulberry leaves for 20-27 days till they are fully grown (3-3 1/2 inches' length).
A fully-grown caterpillar emits a gummy substance from its mouth and wraps itself in layers of this filament to form a cocoon in 2 to 4 days. The caterpillar develops into a moth in about 15 days. To emerge it must cut through the cocoon - thereby ruining the filament of the cocoon. To Save the filaments from being broken, the chrysalis is either immersed in boiling water or passed through hot air or exposed to the scorching heat of the sun, thus killing the lives inside. The filaments of the cocoons are then reeled.
The female moth lays many tiny eggs.
A tiny black caterpillar hatches out of its egg.
The adult moths mate with each other.
The caterpillar eats mulberry leaves and grows bigger and bigger. It goes through 4 molts.
EGG
LARVA
The pupa changes into a moth. The moth comes out of the cocoon.
DULT SILKWORM
LIFE CYCLE
PUPA
The caterpillar spins a cocoon of silk threads around itself.
People unwind the silk thread from the Cocoons to weave into silk cloth
Inside the cocoon, the caterpillar changes into a pupa.
To produce 100 grams of pure silk, approximately 1,500 chrysalis have to be killed. Certain chrysalis are chosen and kept aside to
THE BOOK OF COMPASSION
52