Insects, Spiders, Everywhere




Insect or Spider?

Insects are part of a group of animals called arthropods. Arthropods have a hard outer coat called an exoskeleton that protects their interiors and jointed legs. Insects have bodies that are divided into 3 sections. They also have antennae and 3 pairs of jointed legs (6 in all). There are more kinds of insects in the world than any other type of animal!
Spiders are not insects. They are part of a group called arachnids. But both spiders and insects are arthropods. Spiders have bodies divided into 2 sections, 8 legs, fangs, and organs that can spin silk.




Insect Identification:
Who Am I??



  • I have a flatish, red-brown body and long antennae. But I'm rarely more than 1 inch long.
  • I live in meadows, fields, and grassy areas in many parts of the world
  • I make a distinctive high pitched noise to attract my mate--you may hear me in the summer too!
  • I'll eat just about anything: cloth, other insects, seeds, plants...
  • I can jump about 30 times my body length--almost 3 feet in the air!
Click here for the answer!

Learn More: Choose an Arthropod




Lady Beetle



DID YOU KNOW....

Insects are pretty amazing creatures! Grasshoppers can jump more than 40 times as far as the length of their bodies. And ants can carry up to 100 times their own body weight! The Praying Mantis is one of the few animals that can turn its neck looking all the way over its shoulders. A cockroach can sometimes live up to 9 days without its head!



Return to Animal Exploration's Home Page