UNIT 2  ARTHROPODS

Arthropods are animals that have a hard outer shell called exoskeleton that supports and protects the animal's soft body.  

 

They have the body divided into two or three parts.

• two parts: cephalothorax and abdomen
• three parts: head, thorax and abdomen

Arthropods are scientifically classified as members of the phylum Arthropoda, the largest phylum in the animal kingdom.

 

CLASSIFICATION OF ARTHROPODS

A simple and short classification of arthropods is based on these characteristics:

• number of body parts
• existence or not of antennae and wings
• number of pairs of legs

As a result we can identify four groups:

• crustaceans
• insects
• arachnids
• centipedes and milipedes

 

Here you can see a more complex classification:

 

 

CRUSTACEANS

INSECTS

ARACHNIDS

CENTIPEDES AND MILIPEDES