Subfamily Bombycinae Latreille, [1802]

Diagnosis. In addition to the characters given in the first couplet of the key, the foreleg tibia has soft, helmet-like setae (at least in males) and a long tibial epiphysis, and the 8th abdominal sternite in the males is densely covered with sharp setae. Larvae feed mainly on Moraceae .

Distribution. Widely distributed around the world except the New World and Western Europe. Remarks. Two lineages can be recognized within the subfamily: the Bombyx genus group and the Ocinara genus group.

Map 1. Distribution of Bombyx spp. mainly in China. * B. mori as a domesticated species rose worldwide; its distribution is not shown on the map.