Characteristics of Insects
Humans have 206 bones in their bodies. The average cat has 244 bones in its body. Snakes, the boniest animals, have around 1800 bones! Can you guess how many bones this millipede has?
A millipede belongs to the phylum Arthropoda and the subphylum Myriapoda.
Arthropods are the most abundant category of animals on earth. It is estimated that between 75-84% of all animals on earth belong to this category. What are some traits of Myriapoda?
First myriapods are arthropods.
All arthropods have several traits in common. Let’s take a look at these common traits.
Exoskeleton: Remember the question from the beginning? The answer to “How many bones does a millipede have?” is none! Arthropods do not protect their organs with a skeleton made of bones. Instead, they have a hard outer covering called an exoskeleton.
Bilateral symmetry: All arthropods have bilateral symmetry. This means that if a line was drawn straight down the middle of their bodies, both sides would be identical to one another. Humans also have bilateral symmetry.
Bodies with Regions: If you take a look at an insect, you will notice that its body is made up of more than one segment. A spider has two segments, and an insect has three: a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.
Segmented appendages: What is an appendage? An appendage is a portion of an arthropod that sticks out from its body and has a function. Examples of appendages include legs, arms, and antennae.
The appendages of arthropods are made of many joints. A joint is a location where two parts meet.
In addition, Myriapods have these traits.
- Have many pairs of legs ranging from 750 to 10 legs
- One pair of antennae,
- No wings.
- Two body sections a head and a trunk
Common examples of Myriapods include,
Millipede
Centipedes
Garden centipedes
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