Adolescent Silk Moth

Like clumsy axolotls, but for silk

Background

Soft but Strong

The most durable silk on the planet comes from the Adolescent Silk Moth. It is native to—and thrives in—caves high up in the Chezrian mountains, where the oddly high oxygen concentration allows for larger insects.

Young at Heart

While technically moths, they never grow wings when farmed for silk. They only undergo metamorphosis once they have finished building their cocoon; if they never finish it, they stay in their larval state and continue trying to make it.

by Michael Hodge

Domestication

Wiggly butts

People have exploited their already clumsy nature by, over the years, selectively breeding them to be so bad at co-ordinating that they are almost completely unable to make cocoons without help. It takes them a very long time to finish a cocoon, if they ever do, instead ending up sat in a growing pile of silk, ready for farming.

Moths in name only

Even when allowed to mature for breeding, adolescent moths have disproportionately small wings, another factor of their selective breeding.

Hold on, buddy

This level of domestication means that this species would not survive in the wild; special cocoon template frames are needed to assist in construction when a moth reaches two years of age.

After this point, the quality of silk decreases, their silking efficiency decreases, and the risk of them being unable to mature at all increases.

Uses

Sea

Considering the size of the adolescent moths, the sheer output of silk more than makes up for the bad cocoons.

In fact, Adolescent silk is so strong and is produced in such great quantites that it is the prime material used for the sails of the famous Island Tilken ships.

Sky

Chezrian silk is also light enough that it can be used for supplementary wings to allow kliasta to fly even further, and at higher altitudes, than they normally would.

Unfortunately, it isn't quite light enough to overcome the higher bone density of other species and give them the ability to fly. Not to mention the import costs to Pfemba or Monyus are huge.

Lifespan

Up to 3 years

Conservation Status

Domesticated / Low Risk

Average Weight

8 - 10 kg

Average Length

Up to 60cm

Geographic Distribution

• Chezri