Sericulture
Guides
Antheraea
tussar moths
Antheraea is a genus of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae, established by Jacob Hübner in 1819. Species in this genus are notable for producing wild silk of commercial importance, commonly known as "tussar silk" or "tussah silk." The genus includes species distributed across Asia, North America, and other regions, with several species cultivated for sericulture. Caterpillars of Antheraea species feed on diverse host plants including oaks and other woody trees.
Exorista
uzi fly
Exorista is a genus of tachinid flies comprising approximately 70 described species distributed across multiple subgenera. The genus includes both beneficial biocontrol agents and economically significant pests of sericulture. Species such as E. sorbillans (uzi fly) are major constraints on silk production, causing up to 80% crop loss in outdoor silkworm operations through endoparasitic larval development. Other species have been evaluated for biological control of agricultural pests, including E. larvarum for in vitro rearing and E. deligata for control of tea loopers. The genus exhibits diverse host associations, primarily targeting Lepidoptera.
Glyphodes
mulberry pyralid moths
Glyphodes is a genus of moths in the family Crambidae, subfamily Spilomelinae, described by Achille Guenée in 1854. The genus contains multiple species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions, with some species having expanded their ranges significantly in recent decades. Several species are economically important as pests of cultivated plants, particularly mulberry (Morus spp.), jack-fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and jasmine (Jasminum spp.). Glyphodes pyloalis, known as the lesser mulberry pyralid or mulberry pyralid, is the most extensively studied species due to its impact on sericulture and mulberry production globally.
Glyphodes pyloalis
lesser mulberry snout moth, lesser mulberry pyralid, beautiful glyphodes moth, mulberry pyralid
Glyphodes pyloalis is a small crambid moth native to Asia that has expanded its range to North America, Africa, and Central Asia. It is a specialist pest of mulberry (Morus spp.), with larvae feeding on leaves and causing significant economic damage to sericulture and mulberry cultivation. The species has shown notable range expansion in recent decades, facilitated by climate warming and wind dispersal. Population dynamics are strongly influenced by temperature extremes, with cold winters causing mass mortality of overwintering larvae.
Samia cynthia
ailanthus silkmoth, eri silkmoth
Samia cynthia is a large saturniid moth used for silk production, though less domesticated than Bombyx mori. Adults have wingspans of 113–125 mm with distinctive quarter-moon shaped spots on both wing surfaces, whitish and yellow stripes on a brown background, and eyespots on the outer forewings. The species is native to East Asia and has been introduced to multiple continents, often escaping from cultivation. The subspecies S. c. ricini, known as the eri silkmoth, feeds on castor bean and produces durable eri silk that must be spun rather than reeled.