Whenever a tiny creature with many legs scampers in front of you, the first gets frightened mostly and you never think that whether it was an insect or arachnids. The phylum Arthropoda includes insects, spiders, crustaceans (sowbugs, crayfish, shrimp, crabs, lobsters), and myriapods (millipedes and centipedes). Their main characteristics are segmented bodies, joint legs, compound eyes, many pairs of legal, and a hard exoskeleton. Many people can’t differentiate between an arachnid and an insect. But are arachnids insects? Definitely not. There are clear differences between them. In this article, you will get to know about insects and arachnids and all other facts related to them. After reading all about these bugs, you would want to know are insects animals and how do insects breathe?What’s the difference between arachnids and insects?We have grown up watching little insects queued up wherever they find food. Although we have never thought how they would live without food as they have a body that grows and needs energy from food to survive. Coming to these body segments of insects, they have three segments: a head and thorax, and abdomen. They have six legs arranged in three pairs on each side. On the other hand, the species arachnids have just two parts as a cephalothorax and an abdomen, according to the reports of the National Park Service, with four pairs of legs on each side. Additionally, insects have two antennae and their life cycle differs from arachnids. The former has four parts in its life cycle namely- egg then pupa then larva and then the adult, but most insects undergo the process of metamorphosis, the transformation from an immature form to an adult. The latter do not have any antennae and have three parts in their life cycle as eggs then immature and then mature in a very simple way.Are arachnids considered insects?No, there are many major differences. Arachnida is a class of joint-legged invertebrates also called arthropods. It is under the subphylum Chelicerata. Whereas an insect falls under Insecta. Spiders, which are the largest order along with scorpions, ticks, mites, harvestmen, and solifugae are included in Arachnida. Scorpions are grouped as predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They can be easily recognized as they have eight legs and have a pair of grasping pincers as well as a narrow, segmented tail. The tail is frequently carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and has a stinger at the end. Lice are considered a parasitic insect species. They are very small, parasitic insects without wings and they feed on human blood. Lice can spread very easily, especially among schoolchildren. As they have close personal contact and do share their things. World’s Largest Insects And ArachnidsBoth insects and arachnids come in various shapes and sizes.The largest insects include Macrodontia cervicornis, giant weta, Goliath beetle, Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, tarantula hawk wasp, Atlas beetle, giant water bug, Atlas moth, praying mantis, and Phryganistria chinensis. The largest arachnids include Goliath bird-eating spider, giant huntsman spider, Brazilian salmon pink birdeater, Grammostola anthracina, Colombian giant tarantula, Poecilotheria rajaei (face-sized tarantula), Hercules baboon spider, camel spider, Brazilian wandering spider, and Cerbalus aravaensis. The Field Museum contains 12 million specimens of insects (bugs), arachnids, and myriapods ( millipedes and centipedes). Are spiders insects or arachnids? Spiders are creatures who have two body segments with eight legs; they do not have wings or antennae and are unable to chew.Many people consider spiders as insects but they are mistaken because insects have three pairs of legs and three main body parts, also, most insects, have wings. So, a spider is not an insect, instead, it is under the group Arachnid.Similarly, ticks are not insects. They are arachnids, which are a class of arthropods. Arachnids include spiders and scorpions. They are basically divided into two groups, one with a hard body and another with a soft body. Both groups are capable of transmitting diseases. How are insects and arachnids related? Both insects and arachnids are related as they have some features in common. Both are invertebrates, which means they don’t have a spine. Both are classified as arthropods. Both of them have multi-faceted eyes like in crustaceans and myriapods. Their eyes help them see in many directions at one time. Another similarity in them is that both, as a group has some venomous species, like scorpions. Another similarity is that they have joint legs. Both of them are majorly terrestrial (dwelling on land) and have segmented bodies. Both insects and arachnids have got a compound called chitin in their exoskeletons. We know that spiders are arachnids, but all arachnids are not spiders. Arachnids consist of a class of animals that includes spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and more. There are a total of eleven different orders of arachnids. Harvestmen, pseudoscorpions, whip scorpions, and solpugids are also included in the arachnids group. Does the body plan of insects differ from arachnids?Arachnids and insects can be distinguished easily by seeing their body structure and legs.Insects have a three-segmented body that includes a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. Whereas there are just two body parts in arachnids, which include a cephalothorax and an abdomen. Another difference is that insects have six legs which are arranged in three pairs, while arachnids have eight legs, which are arranged in four pairs. In addition, insects bear two antennae, while arachnids have none, and insects may have wings but no arachnid does.A bug is an insect that belongs to the group Hemiptera. They have piercing mouthparts. For example, cicadas are under the group Hemiptera. But spiders are not in that group. Bugs are creepy-crawlies with six legs whereas spiders have eight legs. We have often read or heard a phrase that suggests that spiders prey on other insects. Spiders belong to the Arachnida class, whereas insects belong to the Insecta class. Arachnids can be distinguished from insects, like birds from fish. Spiders are different from insects, with many noticeable differences. Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for are arachnids insects then why not take a look at what do insects eat or recluse spider facts.
Whenever a tiny creature with many legs scampers in front of you, the first gets frightened mostly and you never think that whether it was an insect or arachnids.
