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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda)

Phylum Arthropoda - Arthropods

Classification · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Range · Internet References · Works Cited
Assassin Bug - Pygolampis pectoralis Leafminer? Beetle - Plateros? - Plateros Tiny Click Beetle - Monocrepidius bellus dead wasp (?) - Tiphia Very small Dytiscid... - Sanfilippodytes Scarab beetle? - Euphoria inda 9221 Acronicta funeralis - Funerary Dagger - Acronicta funeralis
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Explanation of Names
'joint-legged'
Numbers
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
terminology glossary
Range
Cosmopolitan
Internet References
higher taxa of Arthropoda (Kluge 2000)
Works Cited
1.Catalogue of Life
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 31 January, 2004 - 4:45pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, John VanDyk, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, Chris Wirth, Chuck Entz, ceiseman, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, Blocky, Arturo Santos
Last updated 16 June, 2025 - 8:06am

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