Alex Hyde / Sheetweb weaving spider (Linyphiidae) in web at sunset. The silk is refracting the light into a rainbow of coloured bands. Slovenia, July.

Cyril Ruoso / Woman with baby looking at Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying for rope making, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.

Sandesh Kadur / Female Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Alex Hyde / Apollo silkmoth (Ceranchia apollina) close up of cocoon showing silk fibres, originating from Madagascar. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Cricula silkmoth (Cricula trifenestrata) close up of cocoon showing silk fibres originating from Southeast Asia. Captive.

Solvin Zankl / Cornflower seeds (Centaurea cyanus). Cornflower seeds are partly dispersed by ants and also carry a tuft of hygroscopic (water-absorbing) fibres that expand when wet and retract when dry, thus driving...

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic...

Jabruson / Bambuti pygmy boy with net made from plant fibres. Epulu Ituri Reserve, DR Congo (formerly Zaire)

Claudio Contreras / Maya woman weaving Panama hat with fibres of Jipijapa (Carludovica palmata) a palm-like perennial plant, Santa Cruz Hacienda, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Maya woman weaving Panama hat with fibres of Jipijapa (Carludovica palmata) a palm-like perennial plant, Santa Cruz Hacienda, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, June

Claudio Contreras / Henequen (Agave fourcroydes) fibres drying, X-Kanchakan, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, February

Jean E. Roche / Fibres of Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) used for making traditional Japanese washi paper. Arles, Camargue, France. December.

Jean E. Roche / Fibres of Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) used for making traditional Japanese washi paper. Arles, Camargue, France. December.

Jean E. Roche / Man stripping bark from the branches of Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) used for making traditional Japanese washi paper. Arles, Camargue, France. December.

Jean E. Roche / Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) bark used for making traditional Japanese washi paper. Arles, Camargue, France. December.

Jean E. Roche / Fibres of Paper mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifera) used for traditional Japanese washi paper making. Camargue, France. February.

Jean E. Roche / Paper mulberry (Brousonnetia papyrifera) bark, prepared for Japanese washi paper making, Camargue, France.

Cyril Ruoso / Baka man and boys making fiber crowns for a ceremony, South East Cameroon, July 2008.

Alex Hyde / Four-spot orb weaver spider male (Araneus quadratus) at edge of female's web, waiting for an opportunity to mate. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. October.

Cyril Ruoso / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying for rope making, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying outside factory, Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying outside factory, Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying outside factory, Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Worker with Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres, used for manufacturing rope. Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres in factory, used for manufacturing rope. Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Enrique Lopez-Tapia / Sisal (Agave sisalana) fibres drying outside factory, Berenty, south Madagascar. March 2005.

Sandesh Kadur / Juvenile Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Sandesh Kadur / Female Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Sandesh Kadur / Female Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Sandesh Kadur / Female Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Sandesh Kadur / Female Golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) stripping fibres from and feeding on Coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) leaf fronds, Manas, Kokrajhar, Assam, India

Neil Aldridge / A Zu/'hoasi Bushman in the Kalahari makes an arrow. Heating the stick in the embers of the fire softens the fibres and allows the stick to be straightened. Kalahari, Botswana. April 2012.

Neil Aldridge / A Zu/'hoasi Bushman child blows onto fine embers in a clump of grass and plant fibres in order to make a fire. Kalahari, Botswana. April 2012.

Mark Carwardine / Sisal {Agave sisalana} fibres drying in the sun, near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar

Alex Hyde / Apollo silkmoth (Ceranchia apollina) cocoon showing silk fibres, photographed against a black background, originating from Madagascar. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Apollo silkmoth (Ceranchia apollina) cocoon showing silk fibres, photographed against a white background, originating from Madagascar. Captive.

Alex Hyde / Cricula silkmoth (Cricula trifenestrata) cocoon showing silk fibres, originating from Southeast Asia, Captive.

Pete Oxford / Huaorani woman carrying her fishing net. These nets are made from the fibres of the Chambira palm. Bameno Community, Yasuni National Park, Ecuador, May 2007. Model release B#15.

Juergen Freund / Abaca fibre {Musa textilis} harvested and used in paper production, Camarines Sur, Luzon, Philippines 2008

Hermann Brehm / Sisal fibres {Agave sp} collected together for sisal production, Berenti, Madagascar

Hermann Brehm / Sisal fibres {Agave sp} being baled together for sisal production, Berenti, Madagascar

Hermann Brehm / Sisal fibres {Agave sp} being baled together for sisal production, Berenti, Madagascar

George Chan / Women extracting raw silk fibres from silk-moth cocoons by boiling them, a traditional method for silk-making. Hotan City on the old Silk Road south of the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Province, north-...

George Chan / Woman extracting raw silk fibres from silk-moth cocoons by boiling them, a traditional method for silk-making. Hotan City on the old Silk Road south of the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Province, north-...

George Chan / Woman extracting raw silk fibres from silk-moth cocoons by boiling them, a traditional method for silk-making. Hotan City on the old Silk Road south of the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Province, north-...

George Chan / A man dyeing raw silk fibres using natural dyes and traditional methods. Hotan City, on the old Silk Road south of the Taklamakan Desert, Xinjiang Province, north-west China. July 2006

Dave Watts / Blue Tit {Parus caeruleus} collecting bark fibres for nesting material, UK

Dave Watts / Blue Tit {Parus caeruleus} collecting bark fibres for nesting material, UK

Jabruson / Bambuti pygmy woman rolling fibres to make hunting nets, Epulu Ituri reserve, Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire)

Pete Oxford / Sisal fibres drying on lines, Berenty Reserve, Madagascar

Nick Garbutt / Sisal fibres drying at Sisal factory, Berenty, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Soaking {Daphne} fibres, Jungshi paper making factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Paper sheets drying - made from {Daphne} tree fibres, Jungshi factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Wooden press for paper made from {Daphne} tree fibres, Jungshi factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Placing paper sheet made from {Daphne} tree fibres in oven to dry, Jungshi factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Women sorting {Daphne} fibres into white and black for paper making, Jungshi factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Woman cutting {Daphne} fibres for paper making, Jungshi factory, Thimphu, Bhutan 2001

Pete Oxford / Dried sisal fibres being sorted, Berenty PR, Madgascar.

Solvin Zankl / Seed heads of Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Europe. Cornflower seeds are partly dispersed by ants and also carry a tuft of hygroscopic (water-absorbing) fibres that expand when wet and retract when d...

Solvin Zankl / Seed heads of Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus), Europe. Cornflower seeds are partly dispersed by ants and also carry a tuft of hygroscopic (water-absorbing) fibres that expand out when wet and retract wh...

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic...

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic...

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic...

Jose B. Ruiz / Espardenas, traditional rope shoes made from vegetable fibres, Spain

Phil Savoie / Removal of old Asbestos pipe insulation. Danger of release of carcinogenic fibres.

Phil Savoie / Removal of old Asbestos pipe insulation. Danger of release of carcinogenic fibres.

Phil Savoie / Removal of old Asbestos pipe insulation. Danger of release of carcinogenic fibres.

Phil Savoie / Asbestos placed in double 6mm bags ready for dump. Danger of release of carcinogenic fibres.

Jose B. Ruiz / Traditional artifacts handmade from plant fibres. Alicante, Spain, Europe

Mark Payne-Gill / Snowball flowers with fibres that insulate against extreme heat and cold. Langtang, Nepal at 15,000 ft

Graham Eaton / An en echelon band of tension gashes or cracks in rock. The cracks have become mineral infilled (quartz) with the mineral fibres growing in the direction that the cracks were opened, Abereiddy, Pembro...

Will Watson / Brown house-moth (Hofmannophila pseudospretella) feeding on old carpet, Herefordshire, England, UK. August. Controlled conditions, microscopy x10.

Nick Upton / Wood-carving leafcutter bee (Megachile ligniseca) female entering nest hole in insect hotel, it has enlarged the hole by scraping out wood fibres. Wiltshire, England, UK. June.

Nick Upton / German wasp (Vespula germanica) nest surface built from layers of chewed wood fibres. Wiltshire, England, UK. July.

Nigel Cattlin / Mother in law's tongue or snake plant (Sanseviera trifasciata) beneficial houseplant for air purification, has strong leaf fibres