#the domestic silk moth cannot fly. we’ve bred it out of them. | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

whimsicmimic · 11 months ago

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one of these days i need to sit down with the butterfly + spider symbolism from tri98 and write a thing about spiders and silk moths — beings that are both capable of producing silk — and the inherent tragedy of the domestic silk moth (bombyx mori) + dependent plants

#theres an ongoing debate about what constitutes as ‘ethical’ silk #given that the way silk is usually harvested is by boiling pupated silk worms #(pupated silk worms are also seen as a snack in some cultures!)#some people think this is inherently cruel. to boil the worm before it has the opportunity to emerge as a moth #but if you allow the moth to emerge the silk will be a much lower quality due to the moth breaking strands #and the adult domestic silk moth has a lifespan of roughly a week.#they have no mouths. they cannot eat. their purpose is to reproduce and then die #the domestic silk moth cannot fly. we’ve bred it out of them.#so the question is: is it ethical to boil the silkworm in its cocoon? is it more ethical to let it turn into a moth?#the answer is: i dont know. only the individual can determine that. but i work with silk and i think abt it a Lot #and i do think theres something there wrt spiders who create and utilize their silk for their own purposes #cough cough independent plants #and the dependent plants. the tragedy of the silk moth. no mouth. limited lifespan. an inability to fly.#marge simpson voice I Just Think Theyre Neat

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