What Is Bugging Me

What Is Bugging Me

I find spiders and insects fascinating bugs. I believe these bugs are the most numerous and successful creatures on the planet. In fact, they out numbered all other animal species combined (Bickel, 2002). Although insects and spiders share the same characteristics, I believe spiders do not belong to the insect family.

Both creatures belong to the largest group of animals on Earth, the arthropods. Arthropods have segmented body and jointed legs, and have a hard skeleton called exoskeleton. Arthropods also shed their skin. In order to grow to adult size and shape, and because their exoskeleton is relatively inflexible, arthropods shed their old exoskeleton and replace it with a new, larger one. Insects and spiders are found almost everywhere on Earth, from freezing mountain peaks to dry, inhospitable deserts. Almost all insects and arachnids lay eggs (e.g., Bickel, 2002).

However, spiders and insects have different characteristics. Spiders belong to a group called arachnids. An arachnid is a member of the Class Arachnida, which consists of many sorts of creatures that are quite different from each other. Arachnids included creatures like scorpions, harvestmen, mites, and ticks (e.g., Bickel). Spiders have eight legs with sensitive hairs. Because spiders have poor vision, they rely on sensitive body hairs. Each hair is anchored in a tiny pit surrounded by nerve endings. Arachnid bodies are divided into two body parts: a fused head and thorax. Spiders do not fly; they balloon through the air on a long, fine strand of silk. All spiders are predators that eat other insects and animals. A few of the larger spiders eat small vertebrates, including birds. All spiders are venomous and use the venom to subdue their prey (e.g., Bickel).

Let us study the insects' characteristic. Insects have six legs which each leg is composed into segments. Insects