Hobbies And Interests
Kingdom
Insects are members of Kingdom Animalia, which separates them from bacteria, plants and fungi, as well as a wide range of single-celled organisms. Animalia includes all animals, from fish and sponges to elephants and human beings. The kingdom is broadly divided into the vertebrates, which have a backbone, and invertebrates, which do not. All insects are invertebrates, and rely upon exoskeletons for support.
Arthropoda
All insects are members of phylum Arthropoda, a subset of kingdom Animalia. Arthropods include crustaceans, such as crabs and lobsters, as well as more insect-like creatures, such as centipedes and spiders. Arthropods commonly possess segmented bodies and rigid exoskeletons, features which are distinctive in some insect species. Insects are the dominant arthropod class on land by a wide margin.
Insecta
Class Insecta is a subset of phylum Arthropoda. While arthropods may have many legs, insects have only six legs in their adult stage. This is one of the most visible attributes which sets them apart from other arthropods. Spiders and scorpions resemble insects in many respects, but their eight-legged structure places them in a separate class. Insects also have bodies divided into clear head, thorax, and abdomen regions, although the size and shape of these regions can vary considerably.
Species Diversity
Of the roughly 1.5 million identified species alive on the Earth today, around one million are insects. Insect species range from nearly microscopic fleas to the Goliath beetle, which can grow to a length of four inches and weigh several ounces. Insects are present on every continent except Antarctica and inhabit a wide range of land and freshwater biomes. In terms of sheer numbers and diversity, insects are the most successful members of the animal kingdom.