Bombycidae

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Bombycidae
Caterpillars of the silkmoth
(Bombyx mori), age 30 days
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Bombycoidea
Family: Bombycidae
Latreille, 1802
Genera

See text

The Bombycidae are a family of moths. The best-known species is Bombyx mori (Linnaeus), whose larval form is the silkworm. It is native to northern China and has been raised by humans for thousands of years. This family consists of 21 genera and about 150 species, most of which belong to the nominate subfamily Bombycinae.