Phylum Arthropoda: The Jointed Feet

Animals in the Phylum Arthropoda are considered Arthropods. This name origonates from the Greek, arthron, “joint” and podos “foot”. The jointed-feet as it were, includes insects, arachnids, and crustaceans to name a few. They are characterized by their jointed limbs that are made from α-chitin.

Body Plan

The body plan of arthropods is composed of repeated segments. Each segment has a pair of appendages.

Diversity

Partly due to their body plan, arthropods are a very versitile group. They comprise more than 80% of all described species. In fact there are over 1 million described so far, with new ones being discovered all the time.

Classification

Class Insecta

Most insects can be divided into the following major orders:

Blattodea: Cockroaches
Coleoptera: Beetles
Collembola: Springtails
Diptera: Flies
Embioptera: Webspinners
Ephemeroptera: Mayflies
Grylloblattodea: Ice Insect
Hemiptera: True Bugs
Homoptera: Cicadas
Hymenoptera: Bees, Ants…
Lepidoptera: Butterflies and Moths
Mallophaga: Chewing Louse
Mantodea: Preying Mantis
Mecoptera: Scorpion Fly
Megaloptera: Alderfly / Dobsonfly
Microcoryphia: Bristletails
Neuroptera: Lacewings / Antlions
Odonata: Dragonflies
Orthoptera: Grasshoppers
Phasmatodea: Walking Sticks
Phthiraptera: Louse wings
Piecoptera: Stoneflies
Psocoptera: Woodlice
Raphidoptera: Snakeflies
Siphonaptera: Fleas
Strepsiptera: small parasites
Thysanoptera: Thrips
Thysanura: Silverfish
Trichoptera: Caddisflies

Other Arthropod Classes

Arachnida – spiders, scorpions, etc.
Merostomata – horseshoe crabs,eurypterids
Pycnogonida – sea spiders
Chilopoda – centipedes
Diplopoda – millipedes
Pauropoda – sister group to millipedes
Symphyla – resemble centipedes
Branchiopoda – brine shrimp etc.
Remipedia – blind crustaceans
Cephalocarida – horseshoe shrimp
Maxillopoda – barnacles, copepods, fish lice, etc.
Ostracoda – seed shrimp
Malacostraca – lobsters, crabs, shrimp, etc.
Entognatha – springtails, etc.