Silk is a natural fiber made up of proteins. Although it is produced by several groups of insects, currently only the silk produced by larvae of Bombyx mori is used in manufacturing textile industry. There has been some research looking for other types of silks with different properties, which differ at the molecular level. In general, the silks are produced mainly by insect larvae before they complete their metamorphosis , but there are also cases of silks produced by adult. The secretion of silk is especially common in arthropod genus Hymenoptera (bees, wasps and ants), and is sometimes used in nest building. Other types of arthropod produce silk also, notably various arachnids such as spiders (see spider fabric ).
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