International Journal of Environment and Climate Change

Tasar, eri and muga silks occupy distinctive ecological and cultural positions within Asian sericulture, yet they are frequently grouped under an undifferentiated label of “wild” or “sustainable” silk. Such terminology obscures differences in domestication, host-plant dependency, exposure to climatic extremes, landscape governance, cocoon processing and livelihood organisation. This critical narrative review examines evidence concerning the tropical tasar moth Antheraea mylitta, eri moth Samia ricini and muga moth Antheraea assamensis, with particular attention to India and relevant comparative evidence. Scholarly literature, verified primary research, methodological reviews and institutional records available through 10 August 2026 were considered, using a thematic appraisal of study design, ecological scale, causal inference and transferability. Evidence indicates that host-plant quality, rearing season and local insect–environment interactions materially influence production, whereas genetic studies caution against equating named tasar ecoraces with discrete, independently adapted evolutionary lineages. Heat-stress experiments establish physiological responses in particular tissues or larval stages but cannot by themselves predict farm-level survival under combined heat, rainfall and disease exposure. Climatic distribution models identify plausible areas of changing environmental suitability for muga and its hosts, although projected suitability is not an observed productivity trend. Livelihood surveys show locally significant economic opportunities, especially in eri-based systems, but their findings depend on labour valuation, sampling and market access. Likewise, life-cycle evidence from domesticated silk cannot establish the environmental superiority of non-mulberry silks. An integrated resilience framework is advanced in which genetic resources, host landscapes, seed and rearing quality, disease surveillance, equitable institutions and verified environmental performance are jointly assessed. Priority research requires linked multi-location field experiments, genetic and phenological monitoring, comparable farm accounts, and transparent life-cycle studies. The evidence supports context-specific diversification and stewardship, not unconditional claims that wild silk is climate-proof, biodiversity-positive or intrinsically sustainable.