Midge in the context of "Insectivore"

Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The protein fiber of silk is composed mainly of fibroin. It is most commonly produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The best-known silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori, which are reared in captivity (sericulture). The shimmery appearance of silk is due to the triangular prism-like structure of the silk fiber, which causes silk cloth to refract incoming light at different angles, thus producing different colors.

Harvested silk is produced by numerous insects; generally, only the silk of various moth caterpillars has been used for textile manufacturing. Research into other types of silk, which differ at the molecular level, has been conducted. Silk is produced primarily by the larvae of insects undergoing complete metamorphosis, but some insects, such as webspinners and raspy crickets, produce silk throughout their lives. Silk production also occurs in hymenoptera (bees, wasps, and ants), silverfish, caddisflies, mayflies, thrips, leafhoppers, beetles, lacewings, fleas, flies, and midges. Other types of arthropods also produce silk, most notably various arachnids, such as spiders.

Polarized light microscopy can mean any of a number of optical microscopy techniques involving polarized light. Simple techniques include illumination of the sample with polarized light. Directly transmitted light can, optionally, be blocked with a polariser oriented at 90 degrees to the illumination. More complex microscopy techniques which take advantage of polarized light include differential interference contrast microscopy and interference reflection microscopy. Scientists will often use a device called a polarizing plate to convert natural light into polarized light.

These illumination techniques are most commonly used on birefringent samples where the polarized light interacts strongly with the sample and so generating contrast with the background. Polarized light microscopy is used extensively in optical mineralogy.

The Nematocera (nemato+cera meaning "thread-horns") are a suborder of elongated flies with thin, segmented antennae and mostly aquatic larvae. This group is paraphyletic, containing all flies except for those of the suborder Brachycera (the name meaning "short-horns"), which includes species such as the housefly or the common fruit fly. Thus, the equivalent clade to Nematocera would be the whole of Diptera, with Brachycera as a "subclade". Families in Nematocera include mosquitoes, crane flies, gnats, black flies, and multiple families commonly known as midges.

The nematoceran imago typically have elongated bodies and legs, and many species have relatively long abdomens. They also have fairly long, fine, finely-jointed antennae; in many species, such as most mosquitoes, the female antennae are more or less threadlike, but the males have spectacularly feather-like or plumose antennae.