In this post, you will read about some of the key traits of insects. Then, you will learn how to tell insects apart from similar animals like spiders. Scroll to the bottom for a vocab list for this article.
Before we dive in: If you’re an educator planning to teach insects, great learning resources are key to deepening understanding! You can download a printable handout version of this article with reading comprehension activities and a vocab list! Or, you can also find these materials within my complete Insects Unit (plus you’ll support my blog with your purchase! ❤️)
Introducing Insects
Insects are all around us! For every person on Earth, there are about 1.4 billion insects. There are many different kinds of insects, too. Scientists have discovered more than 1 million species, and they continue to find new ones. Insects live in all kinds of places. You can find ants building tunnels underground. You might spot a water strider walking across the surface of a pond. There is even a flightless midge that survives in frozen Antarctica.
Traits of Insects
Want to know if an animal is an insect? All insects share a few important traits. Here’s what to look for:
- Exoskeleton – insects have a hard outer shell called an exoskeleton. It protects their bodies and supports them, much like your bones support you.
- Three main body segments – insects have three main body segments. The three body segments are the head, thorax, and abdomen. They can be different shapes and sizes, but every insect has all three.
- Six legs – insects have six legs. Animals with a different number of legs, like spiders with eight, are not insects.
- These are not an insect’s only traits. Insects also have two antennae on their heads. Antennae help insects touch, smell, and sometimes taste the world around them. Instead of teeth, insects have special mouthparts for eating. Many adult insects have wings for flying. Insects hatch from eggs, and most go through a special change called metamorphosis as they grow. This means they change from one body form to another, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
Arthropods: Insects and their Cousins
You can tell if an animal is an insect by counting its legs and body segments and looking for an exoskeleton. However, many animals look a lot like insects but are not. Insects belong to a bigger group of animals called arthropods. All arthropods have exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed legs.
Different arthropods have different numbers of legs and body segments. Insects are arthropods with 6 legs and 3 body segments. Arachnids, such as spiders, ticks, and scorpions, have 8 legs. Crustaceans, such as crabs and shrimp, usually have 10 legs. However, arachnids and crustaceans are not insects. You can think of these animals as insect cousins.
Download this Article As a Printable Handout
Includes a vocab list and reading comprehension worksheets – ideal for classroom use!
Or: Find these materials within my complete Insects Unit
There’s no need to scramble to put together the perfect insects lesson – I’ve already created it for you! This set includes all the printable materials you need for studying insects.
Key Vocab From This Article
- Abdomen – The back section of an insect’s body. It contains many of the insect’s organs.
- Antennae – Two feelers on an insect’s head that help it touch, smell, and sometimes taste.
- Arachnid – An arthropod with eight legs, such as a spider, tick, or scorpion.
- Arthropod – An animal with an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and jointed legs. Insects, arachnids like spiders, and crustaceans like crabs are all arthropods.
- Crustacean – An arthropod that usually has ten legs, such as a crab or shrimp.
- Exoskeleton – A hard outer covering that protects and supports an animal’s body.
- Head – The front body segment of an insect. It holds the eyes, mouthparts, and antennae.
- Metamorphosis – The process of changing from one body form to another as an animal grows, like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
- Species – A group of living things that are alike and can have young together.
- Thorax – The middle body segment of an insect. It is where the legs and wings are attached.
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