Bombyx

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Cladus: Macroheterocera
Superfamilia: Bombycoidea

Familia: Bombycidae
Subfamilia: Bombycinae
Genus: Bombyx
Species: B. affinis – B. alpicola – B. bengalensis – B. huttoni – B. lemeepauli – B. mandarina – B. mori – B. rotundapex – B. sherwilli – B. shini

Name

Bombyx Linnaeus, 1758

Type species: Phalaena mori Linnaeus, 1758

Gender: Masculine
Synonyms

Minyas Savigny, 1816
Theophila Moore, 1862
Type species: Bombyx bengalensis Moore, 1862 by subsequent designation by Kirby, 1892

References

Zolotuhin, V.V. & T.J. Witt, 2009: The Bombycidae of Vietnam. Entomofauna Supplement 16: 231–272.

Bombyx is the genus of true silk moths or mulberry silk moths of the family Bombycidae, also known as silkworms, which are the larvae or caterpillars of silk moths. The genus was erected by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae.

Species

Bombyx horsfieldi (Moore, 1860)
Bombyx huttoni Westwood, 1847
Bombyx incomposita van Eecke, 1929
Bombyx lemeepauli Lemée, 1950
Bombyx mandarina (Moore, 1872) - wild silk moth
Bombyx mori (Linnaeus, 1758) - domestic silk moth
Bombyx rotundapex Miyata & Kishida, 1990
Bombyx shini Park and Sohn, 2002

Hybrids

Two instances of semi-natural hybridisation are known within this genus:

Bombyx hybrid, a hybrid between a male B. mandarina and a female B. mori
Bombyx second hybrid, a hybrid between a male B. mori and a female B. mandarina

Food

The caterpillars feed on Moraceae, especially on mulberries (Morus species).[3] Domestic silkworms may be fed artificial mulberry chow.
References
Wikispecies has information related to Bombyx.

Pitkin, Brian & Jenkins, Paul (November 5, 2004). "Bombyx Linnaeus, 1758". Butterflies and Moths of the World. Natural History Museum, London. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
ICZN (1957). "Opinion 450. Suppression under the Plenary Powers of the generic name Phalaena Linnaeus, 1758, and validation as of subgeneric status (a) as from 1758, of the Terms Bombyx, Noctua, Geometra, Tortrix, Pyralis, Tinea, and Alucita as used by Linnaeus for Groups of species of the genus Phalaena and (b) as from 1767 of the term Attacus similarly published by Linnaeus and matters incidental thereto (Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera)". Opinions and Declarations Rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. 15 (15): 254.
K. Thangavelu (2003). "Conservation status of silkworm genetic resources in India". In Kee-Wook Sohn (ed.). Conservation Status of Sericulture Germplasm Resources in the World - II. Conservation Status of Silkworm (Bombyx mori) Genetic Resources in the World. Food and Agriculture Organization.