Question

The silkworm silk is the product of

• A. salivary gland of the larva
• B. salivary gland of the adult
• C. cuticle of the larva
• D. cuticle of the adult.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

salivary gland of the larva

Answer 2

The eggs laid by the female moth are rounded and white in colour. The eggs, after ten days of incubation hatch into a larva called as caterpillar. After hatching, caterpillars need continuous supply of food because they are voracious feeders. As they are voracious feeders, they grow rapidly which is marked by four moultings. The full grown caterpillar is 7.5 cm in length. It develops salivary glands, stops feeding and move towards corner among the leaves and secrete a sticky fluid through silk gland. The secreted fluid comes out through spinneret (a narrow pore : situated on the hypopharynx and takes the form of ( long fine thread of silk which hardens on exposure to the air and wrapped around the body of the caterpillar in the form of a covering called as cocoon.