So, are spiders insects? When we think of a bug or an insect, we think of it as a little creature that gives us creeps. So we definitely include spiders on the list. Because of this, there is even a scientific name (not to mention an infinite number of movies) that reminds us why we should be terrified of spiders: arachnophobia.
But might spiders be classified as insects? Keep reading. The response may take you by surprise.
So without wasting time, let’s get into the article!
Are Spiders Considered Insects?
No.
Some people find it difficult to deal with the sight of spiders since they have eight legs, several eyes, and fangs that may inject poison. Even though they look to be dangerous, these small organisms are quite beneficial to the ecosystems in which they are present. Spider webs are considered lucky in some places in the world.
In common parlance, we refer to spiders and other creepy, crawly objects as insects. They even look and act like some of our buddies with six legs, which is one of the many things they share in common with insects. However, do spiders count as insects?
Spiders are not insects, according to the accepted definition of the term. So the question is, why aren’t they exactly? We will look at some of the most significant differences you can make between spiders and insects. But before we get into it, let’s look at the similarities between spiders and insects since there are quite a few.
A brief discussion of taxonomy is in order before we can get to the bottom of the parallels and divergences between insects and spiders. We refer to the science of categorizing all living things as taxonomy. The Kingdom Animalia consists of various organisms, including humans, spiders, fish, birds, and insects. Spiders belong to the kingdom Animalia but still are not considered insects. Spiders of the same species may be very different from each other.
In contrast to plants and fungi, the vast majority of living things in the animal kingdom possess the ability to both breathe and move. In addition, in contrast to bacteria, mammals are composed of several cells. So let’s take a deeper dive into the fascinating realm of taxonomy and learn more about how spiders and insects are categorized.
Are Daddy Long Legs Spiders or Insects?
In the class Arachnida, there are more than 6,000 different species of arachnids that are often referred to as “daddy longlegs” or simply “daddy long legs.” These arachnids are known for having legs that are very long and thin, in addition to having relatively small bodies. They belong to the order of Opiliones.
Because of their outward appearance, daddy longlegs are often confused for spiders, even though they are closely related to scorpions (order Araneida or Araneae).
True spiders have two different segments, whereas daddy longlegs seem to have just one segment. The reason for this is their wide fusion, making the intersection between the two segments practically indistinguishable. However, unlike spiders, whose bodies scientists separate into three discrete segments, arachnids have just two segments.
On the other hand, true spiders have two different parts to their bodies. For example, scientists have divided a real spider’s body into two halves, each distinctly distinct from the other.
Several species of daddy longlegs are omnivorous, which means they include animal and plant foods into their diet. Some of their favorite foods are mites, spiders, snails, and tiny insects. Food is often acquired either by hunting or by scavenging for it.
How Are Insects Different From Centipedes and Spiders?
The Arachnida class includes invertebrates like spiders. On the other hand, scientists classify insects within the phylum known as Insecta.
In addition to this, we investigate the architecture of these species. Insects typically have either three sets of legs or six individual legs. However, a spider has eight legs because it has four pairs of legs.
There is also a distinction between spiders and insects in terms of the key bodily components. In contrast to insects, which have three primary body parts, spiders only have two body segments. Three separate sections make up an insect, and they are the head, the thorax, and the abdomen.
When it comes to spiders, their heads and chests have already fused into a single structure. They still have an abdomen despite having what is known as a cephalothorax, which is a combination of the thorax and the head.
Regarding their less prominent bodily components, spiders and insects are distinct from one another in several ways. First, the insects’ mandibles make consumption of food possible. On the other hand, when it comes to eating, spiders use chelicerae on their bodies. Antennae are characteristic of insects, but pedipalpi are unique to spiders.
Insects have various components in their heads, including a pedicel, a scape, a labrum, and a clypeus. However, spiders do not have any of these features on their heads. Spiders, on the other hand, have a greater number of components than insects do when it comes to their limbs. In contrast to spiders, insects do not possess a coxa, trochanter, patella, or metatarsus in their legs.
In the region of the abdomen, they also have some distinct features. Most insects possess a scutellum, a suture, and elytra, yet spiders do not have any of these anatomical features. However, the spiders have spinnerets in their abdomens. In addition, each of their eyes is unique in its way.
Spiders have a single pair of compound eyes, in contrast to the several pairs of eyes seen in insects. However, whereas insects only have one pair of eyes, spiders have four different sets of eyes on their bodies.
Facts About Spiders
1. They can live underwater.
Ponds are home to the diving bell spider, which you may find in Asia and Europe. They must have air to survive. The spider webbing often referred to as a diving bell web, is used by the animal to capture air bubbles. The critter calls the bell its home and only ventures out into the water when it needs to hunt. As often as is required, they ascend to the water’s surface to take fresh oxygen there.
2. They can “fly.”
Although they lack wings, certain species of spiders can fly for hundreds of kilometers at a time. They do this by employing strands made of silk to capture the wind. We refer to this form of action as ballooning or parachuting. Many people assume that spiders that come up aboard ships at sea or in distant areas have some specialized talent.
3. They take pleasure in dancing a jig.
Spiders can dance. You can find jumping spiders on every continent other than Antarctica. They are one of the spiders that prefer to chase prey instead of trapping it. These spiders also like putting on quite the show when they dance. It’s a rite of passage for them before mating. The male Australian peacock may engage in dangerous behavior such as shaking its abdomen and swinging its legs to attract the attention of a potential mate.
4. They do not have any blood of their own.
Spiders are very unusual because they lack genuine blood and the veins necessary to transfer it. Their cardiovascular system is completely exposed. The bodies have hemolymph inside them. The heart then pushes this into the arteries, ultimately arriving at areas called sinuses. These sinuses surround the body’s internal organs and encircle them.
5. Male spiders delight in the role of being eaten.
Red widows practice cannibalism, just as their black counterparts. But, on the other hand, the red widow spider won’t always cooperate and will face opposition from the male. The widow will have no choice but to submit to him as he shoves his face between her jaws. The widow may turn down the approach and spit him out. He will continue to come back repeatedly until she gives in and eats him.
Final Words – Are Spiders Insects?
Apart from other animals, spiders and insects are extremely alike. There are fundamental differences between insects and spiders that you may find in their bodies.
Spiders and insects have a distinction in their classifications. There are other species of spiders like the jumping spider and the golden wheeling spider that are prominent.
Spiders and insects have distinctions in their minor body components. Insects have segmented bodies and also a segmented abdomen.
The abilities of spiders and insects are quite different from one another. Spiders eat only specific insects and they catch prey through their webs.
