Samia ricini, or the Eri silkworm, is raised in India and parts of the Orient for its silk. Raising Eri silkworms is referred to as Ericulture. The silk is not reelable like Bombyx mori, the mulberry silkworm, so it is spun into a yarn which is both soft and durable. In their native lands, they are hand-fed mostly castor bean and tapioca leaves, but will also eat ailanthus and ligustrum. Eri silkworms are continuously brooded, meaning that they do not go into diapause, and their life cycle is continuous without regard to seasons.