While spiders and insects have a lot in common, there are a few key differences that separate them.
Both spiders and insects are part of the Animal Kingdom as Arthropoda, which means “joint legs” or animals with exoskeleton. But this is the last classification that both insects and spiders fall under together. Below are four characteristics that make spiders different from insects, but there are plenty more. Learn more about spiders and what makes them unique from insects at our Spider Pavilion, open until November 30.
Body segments: Insects have three body segments; the head, thorax and abdomen. Spiders only have two! The cephalothorax and the abdomen. The cephalothorax is a fusion of the head (cephal) and the thorax.
Antennae: Spiders do not have antennae, but insects do!
Legs: Spiders have eight walking legs while insects only have six.
Wings: There is not a single species of spider that has wings but plenty of insects do have wings.
