Silk Moth vs Codling Moth
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Silk Moth | Codling Moth |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bombyx mori | Cydia pomonella |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Bombycidae | Tortricidae |
| Size | 40-50 mm wingspan | 14-22 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Orchards |
| Diet | Herbivores | Fruit Feeders |
| Regions | Asia, worldwide (domesticated) | Worldwide (cosmopolitan) |
| Conservation | Domesticated | Least Concern |
Silk Moth
The fully domesticated moth used in sericulture for over 5,000 years. Completely dependent on humans — adults cannot fly and larvae depend on hand-feeding mulberry leaves.
Did You Know?
The silk moth is so domesticated after 5,000 years of selective breeding that adults can no longer fly and caterpillars will starve rather than eat anything but mulberry leaves.
Codling Moth
A small grey-brown moth whose larvae are the proverbial worm in the apple. It is the most economically important pest of apples worldwide.
Did You Know?
It was one of the first insects to develop resistance to DDT in the 1940s.