His wife, Helen Spurway, conducted studies on wild silk moths.

It is a member of the Saturniidae family, or giant silk moths.

The pheromone is called bombykol, and attracts male silk moths.

We humans cannot smell bombykol, but it is potent in its effect on male silk moths.

Silk is a naturally produced fibre obtained from many species of the silk moth.

Researchers praised the findings as the best explanation yet for declines in wild silk moths in the Northeast.

The wild silk moths, he said, should not be confused with the commercial silk moth, an Asian species.

The tree also acts as a foodplant for a wild silk moth, Gonometa rufobrunnea.

Unlike most silk moths, those that pupate underground do not use much silk in the construction.

The Japanese consider the silk moth pupae a delicacy.