ADW: Arthropoda: INFORMATION

<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>ADW: Arthropoda: INFORMATION</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arthropoda/" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-3.3.2.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/compat.js"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://animaldiversity.org/favicon.ico" /> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Gentium+Book+Basic:400,400italic,700,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=PT+Sans:400,700,400italic,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.styles.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.print.css" media="print" />  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/colorbox/colorbox.css" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arthropoda/" /> <meta content="Arthropoda (arthropods)" property="og:title" /> <meta content="website" property="og:type" /> <meta content="Animal Diversity Web" property="og:site_name" /> <meta content="https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Notodontidae/Gluphisia6911/medium.jpg" property="og:image" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@AnimalDiversity" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Arthropoda (arthropods)" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Read about Arthropoda (arthropods) on the Animal Diversity Web." /> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Notodontidae/Gluphisia6911/medium.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:image:height" content="480" /> <meta name="twitter:image:width" content="353" /> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arthropoda/" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/Hyphenator.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/social-likes/social-likes_birman.css" /> <style> .social-likes { margin: 0; } .social-likes__widget { margin: 0; } </style>   </head> <body> <div id="outerwrap"> <div id="header" aria-role="header"> <h1> <a id="homelink" href="/">Animal Diversity Web</a> </h1> <div class="umlinks"> <div class="relative"> <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/" id="ummzlink">University of Michigan Museum of Zoology</a> <a href="https://www.umich.edu/" id="umlink">University of Michigan</a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="wrap" class="gradient"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="row-fluid"> <div class="span2 sidebar left"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs nav-stacked" id="sitemap"> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/">About Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/animal_names/">About Animal Names</a> </li> <li> <a href="/teach/">Educational Resources</a> </li> <li> <a href="/collections/">Special Collections</a> </li> <li> <a href="/glossary/">Glossary</a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/">Browse Animalia</a> </li> </ul> <h2 class="offscreen">More Information</h2> <div class="well"> <h3>Additional Information</h3> <ul class="unstyled"> <li> <a href="http://eol.org/search/?q=Arthropoda&search=Go">Encyclopedia of Life</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="span7_5 blahblahblah main" aria-role="main"> <h2 class="rank-unspecified">Arthropoda<span class="vernacular-name">arthropods</span></h2> <div class="social-likes" data-counters="no"> <div class="facebook" title="Share link on Facebook">Facebook</div> <div class="twitter" title="Share link on Twitter">Twitter</div> </div> <div class="snapshots" aria-hidden="true"> <ul> <li> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Notodontidae/Gluphisia6911/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Notodontidae/Gluphisia6911/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/collections/contributors/melody_lytle/orthemis_ferruginea/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/melody_lytle/orthemis_ferruginea/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Hesperiidae_A-L/Erynnis8910/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Hesperiidae_A-L/Erynnis8910/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/collections/contributors/phil_myers/Gelechiidae/Chionodes9630/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/phil_myers/Gelechiidae/Chionodes9630/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Crambidae/Evergestis3789/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/phil_myers/lepidoptera/Crambidae/Evergestis3789/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="byline">By Phil Myers</div> <div class="inner-wrap"> <section class="hyphenate"> <p>Arthropods include an incredibly diverse group of taxa such as insects, crustaceans, spiders, scorpions, and centipedes. There are far more species of arthropods than species in all other phyla combined, and the number of undescribed species in the largest assemblage of arthropods, the insects, probably numbers in the tens of millions. Members of the phylum have been responsible for the most devastating plagues and famines mankind has known. Yet other species of arthropods are essential for our existence, directly or indirectly providing us with food, clothing, medicines, and protection from harmful organisms.</p> <p>The systematic relationships of arthropod groups is not fully understood, which is not surprising given the size and diversity of the phylum.</p> <p>A number of important characteristics are shared by most members of this phylum. Arthropods are bilaterally symmetrical protostomes with strongly segmented bodies. Segmentation affects both external and internal structure. Some segments are fused to form specialized body regions called tagmata; these include the head, thorax and abdomen, and the process and condition of fusion is called tagmosis. The body is covered with an exoskeleton made up primarily of chitin (a polysaccharide) in a protein matrix; lipids, other proteins, and calcium carbonate also play a role. Primitively, each body segment bears a pair of segmented (jointed) appendages; in all living arthropods, many of these appendages are dramatically modified or even lost. Arthropods generally grow by molting their exoskeletons in a process called ecdysis. Movement of appendages is controlled primarily by a complex muscular system, divided into smooth and striated components as in chordates. Cilia are not present. Most arthropods have a pair of compound eyes and one to several simple ("median") eyes or ocelli; either or both kinds of eyes may be reduced or absent in some groups. Arthropods are eucoelomate with the coelom formed by schizocoely, but the volume of the coelom is much reduced and usually restricted to portions of the reproductive and excretory systems. Most of the body cavity is an open "hemocoel," or space filled loosely with tissue, sinuses, and blood. The circulatory system is open and consists of a heart, arteries, and the open spaces of the hemocoel. The gut is complete. Respiration takes place through the body surface, and/or by means of gills, tracheae, or book lungs. The nervous system is annelid-like, with a brain (=cerebral ganglion) and a nerve ring surrounding the pharynx that connects the brain with a pair of ventral nerve cords. These cords contain numerous ganglia. Most arthropds are dioecious and have paired reproductive organs (ovaries, testes). Fertilization is internal in most but not all groups. Most lay eggs, and development often proceeds with some form of metamorphosis.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Sources</strong>:</p> <p>Hickman, C.P. and L. S. Roberts. 1994. <em>Animal Diversity</em>. Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA.</p> <p>Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. <em>Invertebrates.</em> 1990. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.</p> <p>Pearse, V., J. Pearse, M. Buchsbaum, and R. Buchsbaum. 1987. <em>Living Invertebrates.</em> Blackwell Scientific Publications, Palo Alto, Ca.</p> </section> <section class="hyphenate"> <h3 id="contributors">Contributors</h3> <p>Phil Myers (author), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. </p> </section> </div> </div> <div class="span2_5 right sidebar"> <div class="well" id="pocket-guide-link"> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adw-pocket-guide/id916179421?mt=8" target="_blank"><i class="icon-download icon-white" style="vertical-align: bottom"></i> ADW Pocket Guides on the iOS App Store! </a> <p>The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides!</p> <p> <a href="/news/5009059054038197651/">Read more...</a> </p> </div> <h2 class="offscreen">Search</h2> <div id="site-search"> <form action="/search" method="GET"> <label for="q" class="offscreen">Enter search text</label> <input value="" id="q" name="q" class="span12" size="15" type="text" placeholder="Search ADW" /> <button class="btn"> <i class="icon-zoom-in"></i> <span class="offscreen">Search</span> </button> <p style="max-height: 35px"> <label for="feature-list" class="offscreen">Search in feature</label> <select size="1" name="feature" class="feature-list input-medium" id="feature-list"> <option value="INFORMATION">Taxon Information</option> <option value="COLLECTIONS">Contributor Galleries</option> <option value="TOPICS">Topics</option> <option value="CLASSIFICATION">Classification</option> </select> </p> </form> <ul class="unstyled"> <li> <a href="https://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/quaardvark/">Explore Data @ Quaardvark</a> </li> <li> <a href="/search_guide/">Search Guide</a> </li> </ul> </div> <h2 class="offscreen">Navigation Links</h2> <dl class="tabbed features"> <dd class="feature-information active"> <a name="feature-information" href="/accounts/Arthropoda/" class="active" id="feature-information"> Information </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-pictures"> <a name="feature-pictures" href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/" id="feature-pictures"> Pictures </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-specimens"> <a name="feature-specimens" href="/accounts/Arthropoda/specimens/" id="feature-specimens"> Specimens </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-sounds"> <a name="feature-sounds" href="/accounts/Arthropoda/sounds/" id="feature-sounds"> Sounds </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-classification"> <a name="feature-classification" href="/accounts/Arthropoda/classification/#Arthropoda" id="feature-classification"> Classification </a> </dd> </dl> <div class="classification well"> <h3>Classification</h3> <ul class="unstyled"> <li> <span class="rank">Kingdom</span> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="taxon-name rank-kingdom">Animalia</a> <span class="vernacular-name">animals</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="4749">Animalia: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: pictures (22861)" data-delay="250">Animalia: pictures (22861)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: specimens (7109)" data-delay="250">Animalia: specimens (7109)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Animalia: sounds (722)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Animalia: maps (42)</a> </div> </li> <li class="active"> <span class="rank">Unspecified</span> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/" class="taxon-name rank-unspecified">Arthropoda</a> <span class="vernacular-name">arthropods</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Arthropoda: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="454">Arthropoda: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Arthropoda: pictures (6910)" data-delay="250">Arthropoda: pictures (6910)</a> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Arthropoda: specimens (116)" data-delay="250">Arthropoda: specimens (116)</a> <a href="/accounts/Arthropoda/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Arthropoda: sounds (13)" data-delay="250">Arthropoda: sounds (13)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="related navlist well"> <h3>Related Taxa</h3> <ul class="descendants classification unstyled"> <li> <span class="rank">Unspecified</span> <a href="/accounts/Chelicerata/" class="taxon-name rank-unspecified">Chelicerata</a> <span class="vernacular-name">spiders, mites, scorpions, and relatives</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Chelicerata/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chelicerata: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="64">Chelicerata: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Chelicerata/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chelicerata: pictures (259)" data-delay="250">Chelicerata: pictures (259)</a> <a href="/accounts/Chelicerata/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chelicerata: specimens (2)" data-delay="250">Chelicerata: specimens (2)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> <li> <span class="rank">Class</span> <a href="/accounts/Chilopoda/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Chilopoda</a> <span class="vernacular-name"></span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Chilopoda/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chilopoda: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="3">Chilopoda: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Chilopoda/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chilopoda: pictures (8)" data-delay="250">Chilopoda: pictures (8)</a> <a href="/accounts/Chilopoda/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Chilopoda: specimens (1)" data-delay="250">Chilopoda: specimens (1)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> <li> <span class="rank">Unspecified</span> <a href="/accounts/Crustacea/" class="taxon-name rank-unspecified">Crustacea</a> <span class="vernacular-name">shrimps, crabs, lobsters, water fleas, and relatives</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Crustacea/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Crustacea: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="76">Crustacea: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Crustacea/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Crustacea: pictures (258)" data-delay="250">Crustacea: pictures (258)</a> <a href="/accounts/Crustacea/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Crustacea: specimens (7)" data-delay="250">Crustacea: specimens (7)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> <li> <span class="rank">Class</span> <a href="/accounts/Diplopoda/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Diplopoda</a> <span class="vernacular-name"></span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Diplopoda/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Diplopoda: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="2">Diplopoda: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Diplopoda/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Diplopoda: pictures (9)" data-delay="250">Diplopoda: pictures (9)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-specimens"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> <li> <span class="rank">Class</span> <a href="/accounts/Insecta/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Insecta</a> <span class="vernacular-name">insects</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Insecta/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Insecta: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="308">Insecta: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Insecta/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Insecta: pictures (6359)" data-delay="250">Insecta: pictures (6359)</a> <a href="/accounts/Insecta/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Insecta: specimens (106)" data-delay="250">Insecta: specimens (106)</a> <a href="/accounts/Insecta/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Insecta: sounds (13)" data-delay="250">Insecta: sounds (13)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer" aria-role="contentinfo"> <div class="inner-footer"> <div class="page-citation"> <p class="content">To cite this page: Myers, P. 2001. "Arthropoda" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed December 01, 2024 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Arthropoda/</p> </div> <div class="disclaimer"> <p class="content"><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource <strong>written largely by and for college students</strong>. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. </p> </div> <div class="footer-links"> <ul class="unstyled"> <li><a href="https://www.umich.edu/">U-M Gateway</a> | <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/">U-M Museum of Zoology</a></li> <li> <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/eeb/">U-M Ecology and Evolutionary Biology</a> </li> <li> 漏 2020 Regents of the University of Michigan </li> <li><a href="/feedback/error_form/">Report Error</a> / <a href="/feedback/comment_form/">Comment</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="thanks-links"> <p>This material is based upon work supported by the <a href="https://nsf.gov">National Science Foundation</a> Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services. </p> <p> The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. </p> </div> </div> </div> <script></script> </div> <script src="/static/js/jquery.colorbox.js"></script> <script src="/static/js/pica.information.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-7143967-1"); pageTracker._setCustomVar(1,"author",":Myers,Phil:",3); pageTracker._setCustomVar(3,"organization",":University of Michigan-Ann Arbor:",3); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(c,l,a,r,i,t,y){ c[a]=c[a]||function(){(c[a].q=c[a].q||[]).push(arguments)}; t=l.createElement(r);t.async=1;t.src="https://www.clarity.ms/tag/"+i; y=l.getElementsByTagName(r)[0];y.parentNode.insertBefore(t,y); })(window, document, "clarity", "script", "6f4vquqfce"); </script> <script async="async" src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-0ZHSR6DBVK"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-0ZHSR6DBVK'); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/bootstrap/js/bootstrap.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/social-likes/social-likes.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/links.js"></script> </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

ADW: Arthropoda: INFORMATION