Ants, bees, beetles, ladybugs and butterflies are insects. There are more kinds of insects than any other kind of animal! Here is how to tell if a small creature is one.
Key idea
Insects have six legs and three body parts: a head, a middle and a back end. Many have wings.
Why it works
All six legs grow from the middle part of an insect's body. Count three on each side: 3 + 3 = 6. A spider has four on each side: 4 + 4 = 8. That is why a spider is not an insect.
Worked example: Let's think it through
Is a spider an insect?
- Count its legs: four on each side, so 8.
- Count its body parts: 2.
- Insects have 6 legs and 3 body parts.
Answer: No. A spider is not an insect. It is an arachnid.
Common mistake
Children often call every small crawling animal a bug or an insect. Spiders have eight legs, and worms and snails have no legs at all, so none of them are insects.
For the grown-up. A magnifying glass makes leg-counting fun. Watch ants on a sidewalk or a beetle on a leaf, and count from a respectful distance.