Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
Upcoming Events

Registration is open for the 2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho July 24-27

Moth submissions from National Moth Week 2023

Photos of insects and people from the 2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico, July 20-24

Photos of insects and people from the Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana, April 28-May 2

Photos of insects and people from the 2019 gathering in Louisiana, July 25-27

Photos of insects and people from the 2018 gathering in Virginia, July 27-29


Previous events
Home » Forums » General Discussion

Silk producing beetle larva?

Last night I watched the 4th part of a PBS program on the history of India. In the introduction the host held in His hand a cluster of pepper corns, some rice grains and a tuft of fibers which He identified as silk produced by the larva of a beetle. I can not find any information on the web about silk being produced by a beetle. I have always thought of silk being produced by moth larva and of course spiders.
Does anyone have any information on this?
login or register to post comments · previous forum topic · next forum topic
Contributed by Charles Schurch Lewallen on 13 January, 2009 - 9:14am

Quite a few beetles
produce silk. The genus Cryptolestes (Laemophloeidae) does and could be what was shown from India. A paper (and references therein) on silk production in beetles is:

Frank, J.H., Thomas, M.C. 1984. Cocoon‑spinning and the defensive function of the median gland in larvae of Aleocharinae (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae): a review. Quaest. ent. 20: 7-23.
… Michael C. Thomas, 13 January, 2009 - 10:52am login or register to post comments

 
Paper
Do you have a digital copy of that paper by any chance?

Charles, some other silk-producing beetles include Hypera weevils (the initially proposed ID for your spongillafly cocoon), Ophraella leaf beetles (which make similar cocoons), and water scavenger beetles (Hydrophilidae), which make silken egg cases--no photos of these seem to exist, but I've seen a number of illustrations.
… Charley Eiseman, 13 January, 2009 - 11:49am login or register to post comments

 
silk
Thanks Charley.
I wonder if this type of silk was ever used to make fabric ?
… Charles Schurch Lewallen, 13 January, 2009 - 12:58pm login or register to post comments

 
silk
Michael, thanks for the information.
… Charles Schurch Lewallen, 13 January, 2009 - 11:39am login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2024 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Statement
Site Map
Contact