What is an arthropod?
Arthropods are a group of invertebrates, which include insects, arachnids, crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes, and others.
Arthropod diversity is overwhelming and comprises more than 75% of all species on earth.
Animals in the phylum Arthropoda share a number of key internal and external characteristics. The easiest characteristics of arthropods to identify are:
- Segmented bodies
- Paired, segmented appendages
- Bilateral symmetry
- A hard, chitonous exoskeleton
The figure below demonstrates some of these characteristics of arthropods.
