Introduction &

Classification of
Arthropods
THEONA MARKES PRINCE AND LATOYA GRANT
 All have exoskeletons for support and protection

All have jointed appendages

Features of All Body regions include: a head, thorax, and an

Arthropods abdomen.

Some have a cephalothorax (head and thorax

are fused together)

All arthropods molt (shed exoskeleton)

 Arthropods use either gills, tracheal tubes, or book lungs
for gas exchange.

Acute senses include simple and compound eyes, brains,

and many ganglia.
General
Characteristics Arthropods use pheromones to communicate.
Cont’d
They have open circulatory systems, complete digestive
system, and efficient means of wastes excretion.

Arthropods reproduce sexually, but some exhibit

parthenogenesis.
 Trilobite Extinct (Fossilized )

2- Crustacea (All aquatic forms )

Phylum
Arthropoda is 3- Chelicerata
classified into • Class Arachnida
four subphyla • ( includes three important orders)
• (A) Acarina (Ticks and mites)
• (B) Scorpio Nida (All forms of scorpions)
• (C) Araneida(all spiders)

4- Uniramian – Three classes-Hexapoda;

Chilopoda; and Diplopoda
 Spiders, scorpions and mites belong to this class.

Spiders are the largest group of arachnids.

Class Arachnida Most arachnids have only 2 body regions- a

cephalothorax and the abdomen.

Arachnids have 2 chelicerae for poisoning prey and 2

pedipalps for sensing and handling food.

4 remaining appendages aid in locomotion

 Spiders have silk glands for spinning webs and for
wrapping their eggs in a cocoon.

Ticks and mites have only one body segment.

Arachnids Ticks feed on mammalian blood and can expand up to

Cont’d 1 cm.

Mites are very small and cannot be seen by the naked

eye. However their bites, called chiggers, can be felt.

Scorpions have many body segments and 2 pincers

and have a long tail with a venomous stinger at
 Most crustaceans are aquatic and use gills for gas
exchange.

2 pairs of antennae for sensing.

Mandibles for crushing food that move side to side.

Class Crustacea
Eyes are located on movable stalks.

Many have five pairs of walking legs used for seizing prey
and cleaning other appendages.

First pair is often modified into strong claws.

Crustaceans Cont’d
Crabs, lobsters, shrimp, crayfish, barnacles, water fleas, and pill bugs
are crustaceans.
Some have three body sections, and others have only two.
Land crustaceans like pill bugs must live in damp environments for
efficient gas exchange.
Class Chilopoda and Diplopoda
Centipedes belong to class Chilopoda and millipedes belong to class
Diplopoda.
Centipedes are carnivorous and eat soil arthropods, snails, slugs, and worms.
Centipede bites are painful to humans.
Both have Malphigian tubes for waste excretion.
Both have tracheal tubes for gas exchange.
Millipedes eat mostly plants and dead material.
Millipedes also have stink glands for scaring
Class Merostomata
Horseshoe crabs belong to this class.

Have remained unchanged since Cambrian period.

Have exoskeletons similar to trilobites

Feed on seaweed, mollusks, and worms on bottom of oceans.

Females lay eggs on land.

 Insects are the largest group and most successful
arthropods.

Insects may only mate once or twice in their lifetimes.

Internal fertilization
Class Insecta
Large number of eggs are produced to ensure a large
number of offspring.

Females lay eggs in wood or the ground.

May go through complete or incomplete metamorphosis

depending on species.
 Complete metamorphosis: egg, larva,
pupa, and adult.

Insect cont’d Incomplete metamorphosis: egg,

nymph, and adult.

Nymphs compete with adults for same

resources and are not sexually mature.
Insect Reproduction