Are spiders insects? this is one of the most searched questions by viewers as everyone is set to know more about this beautiful creature. What are they? What similar characteristics do they even have with insects? Should they even be compared? this simple, yet tough question is what this article is determined to answer and make simple for readers to understand.
After reading this article, and you’re asked “hey, is a spider an insect?” you’ll immediately give an answer to this question with a smile on your face. Without further ado grab those creepy crawly legs and let’s shoot the web of knowledge into your mindset!
Read also: How Many Legs do Insects Have? Insect Identification
Interesting Top Picks About the Spiders
Before getting to know the relationship these guys have with insects, you should have a little knowledge about these creepy crawling creatures. Below are amazing facts to be noted about the spiders:
- Population Across the Globe
This may sound freaky, but research has shown that spiders are just everywhere, at any time and in any place, at least not 12 feet away from you. But not to worry as they won’t bother you if you’re minding your business.
Presently there are over 35, 000 species of spiders in the world and still more to be discovered.
- Their Bites
It’s true that spiders bite, and release their venom into your body causing serious health complications. But luckily, not all spiders bite at least a majority of them don’t and even if they do, they may not even inflict damage.
- Spider Web
It is believed that a spider web as thick as a pencil, can stop a flying plane. Amazing right! well, it’s true.
- Spider Blood
Unlike humans or other animals, spiders have blue blood.
Why? well, in humans, oxygen is bound to a molecule containing iron and this gives our blood that red color. But in spiders, the case is different as the molecule that oxygen is bound to contain copper, giving their blood a blue color.
- Spiders Date by Giving out Gifts
It’s weird but true!
Most spiders do not only dance with their partners, but they also offer wrapped gifts to their loved ones to try and sweet talk their way into a date.
Most spiders act cheap sometimes by stooping so low to offer scraps of leaves or less valuable gifts to their females instead of offering gifts such as flies and other insects.
- Spiders are muscular.
- Spiders dance!
- Jumping spiders can see through ultraviolet light.
- Unlike Humans, Spiders have 8 eyes.
Read also: Is a Butterfly an Insect? The Behaviors of Butterflies
How do I Identify a Spider?
We can’t be so sure about describing a spider as an insect unless we first describe and compare its similarities with them (insects). Below are various body parts that can be seen visibly and help in your identification of these guys. Alas! it’s a spider:
- The Mouthpart of a Spider
The mouth of a spider is located on its head, along with its chelicerae (jaws with sharp edges) , pedipalps, and eyes. Spiders lack mandibles for chewing so they use their chelicerae as mouthparts. Its appendages are similar to fangs. Spiders use their chelicerae to seize their prey and inject the venom since the chelicerae are attached to their venom glands. Amazingly, spiders also have tiny mouthparts (the labrum and the labium) behind their chelicerae. The extra mouthparts in conjunction with the chelicerae are responsible for aiming food into the spider’s mouth for consumption.
They mulch their foods using digestive substances and sometimes insert the substances inside their prey as a means of dissolving the inside organs of their prey’s bodies. Doing this enables them to easily feed with their chelicerae. Not all spiders (cobweb spider) can eat food in solid form but in its liquid form while some can.
- The Legs of a Spider
Spiders typically have 8 legs for walking and the pair of appendages in front of the legs are called “pedipalps”. The legs of a spider are divided into 7 segments, namely:
- The Coxa,
- The Trochanter
- The Femur
- The Patella
- The Tibia
- The Metatarsus
- The Tarsus
The tip of the tarsus bears claws that vary in size and number. Some spiders have 3 claws and these are spiders that spin webs; with the middle claw being small while hunting spiders have only two claws. Since they do not have antennae they use a specialized and bristle-like sensor on their legs to pick up scents, sounds, vibrations, and even air currents.
Where is the Habitat of a Spider?
Well, spiders are found just about everywhere!
Interesting Top Picks About Insects
Having known about the spider, let’s give you a sneak pic at the insect world:
WHAT IS AN INSECT?
An insect is any member of the class Insecta and belongs to the phylum Arthropoda, which itself is the largest of the animal phyla. Insects have segmented bodies which are divided into:
- The Head: Bears the eyes, the antenna, and the mouthpart.
- The Thorax: Bears the legs and the wings as well.
- The Abdomen: Bears the digestive, excretory, and reproductive organs.
Insects have jointed legs and an exoskeleton, and are distinguished from other arthropods by their body segments.
Insects are in many ways beneficial to humans as they help in the pollination of flowers, can be used for research purposes, they serve as environmental indicators to assess water quality and soil contamination, produce useful substances, serve as a source of food, help in the control of pests, and are sometimes the pests.
Insects are the most successful group of animals as they have a wide distribution rate number and adaptability.
Read also: What is a Group of Cats Called? Facts You Should Know
6 SHOCKING FACTS ABOUT INSECTS
Below are facts about these creatures that will shock you:
- They can be found in every continent except Antarctica.
- Insects do not breathe through their mouths but their sides.
- Insects are the most successful creatures on earth.
- Insects are known to have lived 170 million years before dinosaurs.
- Insects have compound eyes that can see multiple views.
- All insects are bugs but not all bugs are insects.
Read also: Is a Butterfly an Insect? The Behaviors of Butterflies
WHERE IS THE HABITAT OF INSECTS?
As mentioned earlier, insects take almost all the population of living organisms and can be found almost everywhere. You can find insects in just about everywhere on Earth, from the sands of hot deserts to cold snowy mountain streams.
About 97% of insects live on land. Although they can be found almost everywhere, they prefer warm climates.
Some insects do begin life in water such as the dragonfly which begins life in water such as rivers, lakes, and ponds, but then takes off to the air when they become adults, and the diving beetle, which spends most of its time in the water but still returns to the surface of the water to breathe air.
THE ANATOMY OF INSECTS
Insects belong to the Phylum Arthropoda and like other arthropods, they have an exoskeleton (a hard outer covering made of chitin which protects and gives the body support) with no interior skeleton. As stated earlier, the body parts of these insects are divided into 3 parts:
- The Head
- The Thorax
- The Arthropod, etc
The head of an insect is peculiar for bearing the compound eyes, antennae, the mouthpart for food intake, etc. The thorax serves as the grip point that bears the legs for locomotion and the wings as well, and the abdomen is used for digestion, reproduction, excretion, and respiration.
Even though the body segments of all insects perform the same function, there are differences in their wings, legs, mouthparts, and antennae which makes them different from other animals.
Are Spiders Insects?
With every point mentioned above, you should be able to answer the question put before you, Are spiders insects? well, just to provide your mindset with standard clarity let’s get things straight. The answer to this question is no, the spider is not an insect and if you doubt this answer, below is proof:
- A spider is an arthropod which makes formally makes it an insect.
- It has only 2 body segments, the head, and the abdomen.
- It belongs to the Class Arachnida.
- It belongs to the order Araneae.
- Spiders have 8 legs, unlike insects.
- Spiders have no antennae which is one of the major characteristics of insects.
With this proof, you would agree with us that a spider is not an insect.
Take Away
There are a lot of mistakes people make when it comes to mother nature such as the case of the spider and insects. People often mistake spiders to be insects, It’s confusing, right? But luckily this article has been able to answer this question, are spiders insects? Alas! it is No.
For more info, contact us and make your contributions, queries, or complaints. We’re glad to have been of help to you and do well to subscribe to get more info about pests, pets, and animals as well. Thank you!
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