Phylum Arthropoda - Arthropods (original) (raw)

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Explanation of Names

'joint-legged'

Numbers

Worldwide. 20 classes, >160 orders, ~4,200 families, and ~1.2 million described species(1)

Size

ranges from the smallest mite (~0.1 mm) and the smallest insect (a Hymenopteran, Dicopomorpha echmepterygis at 0.14 mm), up to the Japanese Spider Crab (legspan to 3.8 m), but most 2‒25 mm

Identification

Three or more pairs of jointed legs (some mites have less, many insect larvae have none)

Body segmented, bilaterally symmetrical

Exoskeleton, usually tough, composed in part of chitin

Habitat

Almost every habitat

Print References

Giribet G., Edgecombe G.D. (2019) The phylogeny and evolutionary history of arthropods. Current Biology 29: R592‒602. (Full text)

Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 31 January, 2004 - 4:45pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, John VanDyk, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Christopher C Wirth, Chuck Entz, ceiseman, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, Blocky, Arturo Santos
Last updated 14 November, 2023 - 2:10pm