Winged Wonders: Explore Madagascar's Wild Silk Moths

Take a closer look at the endemic species behind CPALI's Nature-based Textiles Initiative

An Antherina suraka wild silk moth in northeastern Madagascar. This endemic moth's brown silk cocoons are sustainably collected by trained local farmers and converted into stunning Certified Wildlife Friendly and Fair Trade textiles by SEPALI Madagascar artisans in partnership with CPALI.ORG. Our collaborative nature-based social enterprise, Tanana Madagascar, connects these remarkable crafts to fair markets. Doing so helps generate sustainable income to advance conservation through poverty alleviation. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

Regenerative conservation

Two decades ago, an American evolutionary biologist and Malagasy insect specialist began a quest for wild moths that spin silk on the margins of Madagascar's northeastern rainforest. Their dream: to unlock a new, nature-based livelihood centered on wild silk that can help local farmers regenerate forests. Unlike domesticated silkworms, Madagascar's little-known wild silk caterpillars spend much of their life cycles hidden from view. Join CPALI in taking a closer look at Madagascar's rare winged wonders, and the stunning natural silk from which they emerge.

Endemic wild silks in northeastern Madagascar used in contemporary, locally crafted textiles. The cocoons, from left to right, are spun by these species: Callopizoma malgassica, Antherina suraka, Deborrea malgassa, Argema mittrei, and Ceranchia apolina, placed on a large communal cocoon of Hypsoides singularis. Read on to learn about each of these fascinating species. (Photo: Matthew Scott)

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Ceranchia apollina

Saturniidae family

Ceranchia apollina Madagascar silk moth. (Photo: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar)

Ceranchia apollina larvae, pupae house, and cocoon preparation. (Photos: SEPALI Madagascar and Manoely Denis)

"Ceranchia" silk is made from pressed and sewn cocoons of the Ceranchia apollina wild Madagascar silk moth. Today, rearing of Ceranchia is conducted by a handful of CPALI-trained farmers in the remote Bealanana region of Madagascar, to the northwest of Makira Natural Park. In CPALI's original sericulture system, farmers remove pupating moths from silk cocoons and store them safely in specially-constructed "pupae houses" to shield them from predators and parasites. The cocoons are collected and transported by farmers on a multi-day journey to the town of Maroantsetra, where skilled artisans in the SEPALI Madagascar workshop iron them flat and sew them together into mosaic cocoon textiles. Ceranchia wild silk cocoons have two parts: an inner layer and an outer layer. The inner layer of the cocoon is used for dense handmade textiles and the outer layer is used for open textiles.

Ceranchia apollina silk cocoon cross-section, open outer cocoon, and dense inner cocoon. (Photos: Alex Hyde and CPALI)

Skilled artisans at the SEPALI Madagascar workshop in northeastern Madagascar prepare a tapestry of over 1,000 Ceranchia apollina cocoons that are iron-pressed and sewn together. The novel Certified Wildlfie Friendly and Fair Trade textile is only produced for CPALI's collaborative social enterprise, Tanana Madagascar. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

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Antherina suraka

Saturniidae family

Antherina suraka wild silk moth. (Photo: Matthew Scott)

An Antherina suraka endemic "Talandoha" host tree, fifth-instar caterpillar, and freshly spun silk cocoons collected by a farmer from the leaf litter. (Photos: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

"Suraka" silk is made from pressed and sewn cocoons of the Antherina suraka wild Madagascar silk moth. These dynamic, bulls-eye pattern moths have chubby, lime-green fifth-instar caterpillars that spin brown silk cocoons in the leaf litter. They are sericultured by some farmers in CPALI's trained method, and wild collected by others who have planted host trees on their land to attract them. A moth-friendly method is used by farmers to collect the silk cocoons without harming the pupating moth. Suraka textiles are earthy and fibrous, with a darker natural color than many other wild silks.

Antherina suraka wild silk. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

Antherina suraka wild silk combined with other species of wild Madagascar silk in a single signature tapestry called, "Unity". Other featured silks include Ceranchia apollina, Argema mittrei, Callopizoma malgassica, and Deborrea malgassa. Native raffia palm fibers and domesticated mulberry silk are also used to create this signature textile. Produced by the SEPALI Madagascar artisan team for Tanana Madagascar, all dyes in this piece are derived from natural sources, including jack fruit (yellow) and native "Harongana" tree leaves (black). Domesticated mulberry silk is used because the color white does not appear in known wild silks from northeastern Madagascar. (Photo: Tanana Madagascar)

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Argema mittrei

Saturniidae family

Argema mittrei wild silk moth. (Photo: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar)

Argema mittrei wild silk caterpillar, cocoon, and pupae. (Photos: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar)

"Argema" silk is made from pressed and sewn cocoons of the Argema mittrei wild Madagascar silk moth. These stunning moths are one of Madagascar's most renowned species. Rarely seen, the cocoons are collected from host plants on farmers' lands in the southern Makira region after the moths emerge. The cocoons are generally used as silver accents in wider textiles. Argema silk cocoons are smooth and lustrous and have a natural pinkish-silver color. Because of their gorgeous natural appearance, these textiles are never dyed.

Argema mittrei wild silk textile made by SEPALI Madagascar artisans from iron-pressed and sewn cocoons. (Photo: Catherine Craig/CPALI)

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Deborrea malgassa

Psychidae family

Deborrea malgassa stick-laden "bag" cocoon. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

"Deborrea" silk is made from pressed and sewn bag-like cocoons of the Deborrea malgassa wild Madagascar silkworm. This species is quite abundant in the MaMaBaie landscape. A caterpillar carries its "bag" with it as it feeds on leaves, and tucks inside at the first sight of a predator.

Deborrea malgassa silk from pressed and sewn cocoons. Small sticks are removed before use in textiles. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

Deborrea malgassa silk cocoons appear as textured accents such as roofs in this "Trano soa" wall hanging designed by SEPALI Madagascar artisans and inspired by children's drawings. (Photo: Tanana Madagascar)

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Callopizoma malgassica

Lasiocampidae family

Callopizoma magassica wild Madagascar silk moth. (Photo: Armin Dett, used with gratitude)

"Borocera Maroantsetra" silk (as our team likes to call it) is made from the pressed and sewn small, papery cocoons of the Callopizoma malgassica wild Madagascar silk moth. The moths are small, robust and hairy. The caterpillars have bristle-like hairs that sting or itch when touched.

Stage five Callopizoma malgassica caterpillars (the large top caterpillar is female and the smaller bottom caterpillar is male). (Photo: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar)

Light shines through a mosaic of sewn Callopizoma malgassica wild silk cocoons in a SEPALI Madagascar-designed textile. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

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Hypsoides singularis

Notodontidae family

A newly-emerged Hypsoides singularis wild silk moth on a communal cocoon. (Photo: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar)

A Hypsoides singularis communal cocoon, cross section of on a communal cocoon, and spun silk. (Photos: Mamy Ratsimbazafy/SEPALI Madagascar and Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

"Hypsoides" silk is derived from the papery communal cocoons of the Hypsoides singularis wild Madagascar silk moth. At spinning time, the caterpillars march in succession up a suitable tree. Their large cocoons are spun in the canopy and contain a matrix of individual silk cells inside of a large, smooth tent-like exterior cocoon. SEPALI Madagascar artisans have spun the silk, but this is not a regular practice due to the excessive time, fuel, and effort required.

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Borocera cajani

Lasiocampidae family

NOTE: This Madagascar endemic species of wild silk moth is found only in remaining fragments of "Tapia" forest in central and southern Madagascar. The species does not occur in the northeastern humid forests where the SEPALI Madagascar team and collaborating Betsimisaraka farmers and artisans live. Borocera cajani wild silk has been traditionally used for spinning and weaving lambamena and other sacred and functional Malagasy textiles.

A Borocera cajani wild silk moth, cocoon, caterpillar, and egg at the Arivonimamo Cooperative on Madagascar's central plateau. (Photo: Matthew Scott with gratitude to Tsiresy Razafimanantsoa and the Arivonimamo silk producers)

A traditionally-woven Borocera cajani wild silk scarf with patterning in the traditional Betsileo style of the Madagascar silk weavers who create it. White domesticated mulberry silk is combined in this piece with endemic Borocerea cajani silk. (Photo: Tanana Madagascar)

Behind the silk

Mamy Ratsimbazafy (Director) and Lalaina Raharindimby (Lead Artisan) at the SEPALI Madagascar workshop in northeastern Madagascar. SEPALI Madagascar is the local sister organization of the US-based 501(c)3 non-profit, CPALI. Mamy and Lalaina lead a local team of 20 skilled artisans, technicians, and insect specialists who collaborate with village-based farmers and artisans to deliver stunning natural textiles that are proud expressions of contemporary Malagasy arts and culture. (Photo: Rachel Kramer/CPALI)

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