Spiders, mites and allies
Spiders make up the majority of the arachnida class (or arachnids), with over 50,000 known species. Mites come a close second at 48,200 species. The other arachnids are scorpions, whip scorpions, microwhip scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen and sun spiders. Most species are carnivorous.
Order
Spiders (Araneae)The spiders (Araneae) are an order of arachnids. All spiders have eight legs and can produce spider silk, though not all species can make webs.
About
Arachnids are a class (Arachnida) of joint-legged invertebrate animals in the subphylum Chelicerata. All arachnids have eight legs, although in some species the front pair may convert to a sensory function. The term is derived from the Greek word ἀράχνη (aráchnē), meaning "spider".
Almost all arachnids are terrestrial. However, some inhabit freshwater environments and, with the exception of the pelagic zone, marine environments as well. They comprise over 100,000 named species, including spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, ticks, and mites.
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Scientific Classification
Class: Arachnid (Arachnida)
Other members of the same phylum
- Amphibians (Amphibia)
- Barnacles, copepods and allies (Maxillopoda)
- Birds (Aves)
- Cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes)
- Cephalopods (Cephalopoda)
- Insects (Insecta)
- Jellyfish (Scyphozoa)
- Lobe-finned fishes and allies (Sarcopterygii)
- Lobsters, woodlice and allies (Malacostraca)
- Mammals (Mammalia)
- Millipedes (Diplopoda)
- Polychaete worms (Polychaeta)
- Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)
- Reptiles (Reptilia)
- Sea urchins (Echinoidea)
- Starfish (Asteroidea)
Elsewhere on the web
- Arachnida (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Arachnid FAQ (bugguide.net)
- Fast facts on extreme arachnids (news.nationalgeographic.com)
- Arachnid photo gallery (americanarachnology.org)
- Spider myths (washington.edu)
- Arachnid (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
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