What Phylum Do Spiders Belong To?
WouterSpiders belong to the Phylum Athropoda, which includes insects, crustaceans, trilobites, and arachnids. This group is divided into two main groups: Chelicerata and Arthropoda. The phylum is subdivided into classes, which are further subdivided into families.
The largest class within the arthropod phylum is the Hexapoda. These species include insects and other arthropods, including centipedes. They have a chitin-based exoskeleton. Most of them are terrestrial arthropods, but some are aquatic. Some arthropods thrive in wet forests and the deep ocean. In addition to their exoskeletons, some species have jointed appendages, such as antennae, legs, and thorax.
There are three primary body parts in insects: the thorax, a pair of wings, and the abdomen. These insects also have specialized organs to detect vibrations, taste food, and breathe oxygen. Typically, an insect’s thorax contains a brain, a digestive tube, and an abdominal segment for food processing.
Arachnids are closely related to the Phylum Athropoda, but they differ in the number of pairs of legs. They have four pairs of legs, but some can have as many as eight. Similarly, most arachnids have simple eyes, called ocelli.
Unlike most arthropods, spiders have a central nervous system. Their ganglia are fused into a mass on the cephalothorax. Although most spiders are solitary, there are some species that live in communal webs.
Many arachnids have glands that produce silk. The threads are used to climb, to tether themselves for safety, and to make a web. Additionally, a spider’s silk can be used to trap flies and other insects.
