Easy and Interactive Learning

Despite the visual similarities between the two both are actually members of distinct families. Spiders are members of the Arachnid family whilst insects belong to the Insect family. So what makes the two families different ?

Well for starters spiders have 8 legs whilst insects have just 6. Insects have 3 distinct body parts, a head, thorax and abdomen whilst spiders have just 2, a combined head and thorax known as the cephalothorax and an abdomen.

As well as the above, other interesting differences include the eyes. Spiders have simple eyes whilst insects have compound eyes. Spiders have piercing jaws whilst insects have jaws which are more suitable for chewing. All spiders can make silk thread (although not all spiders spin webs) whilst most insects cannot. Spiders can’t fly where as many insects have wings allowing them to do so.

So yes to the untrained eye there is indeed very little visual difference but if you look really hard then they’re actually worlds apart.