2006-08-31 08:46:54 · 1 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
Cocoon weight
The most significant commercial feature of cocoons is weight. Cocoons are sold in the marketplace based on weight as this index signals the approximate quantity of raw silk that can be reeled. The whole weight of a single cocoon is influenced by silkworm species, rearing season and harvest conditions. Pure breeds range from 2.2 to 1.5 g, while hybrid breeds weight from 2.5 to 1.8 g. In nature, the weight of a fresh cocoon does not remain constant but instead continues diminishing until the pupae transforms into a mother and emerges from the cocoon. This weight occurs gradually as moisture evaporates from the body of the pupae and as fat is consumed during the metamorphosis process.
2006-08-31 08:54:39 · answer #1 · answered by Owlwings 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋