Six legs and three body parts
Insects are everywhere! Find out how to spot an insect by counting its legs and body parts, why a spider is not an insect, and build your own insect model.
Read
An insect is a small animal with six legs and three body parts: a head, a middle part (the thorax) and a back part (the abdomen).[1]
On its head an insect has two antennae. It uses them to smell and taste.[1][3]
Many insects have wings, like butterflies, bees and beetles. Some insects, like ants, have no wings.[1][3]
A spider has eight legs, so a spider is not an insect.[1]
There are more kinds of insects than of any other animal. Four out of every five animals are insects![1]
Insects help us. Bees and other insects carry pollen from flower to flower so that fruit can grow, and many birds eat insects.[6][8]
Try it: Build an insect
You need
- Modelling clay or play dough (three colours if possible)
- Pipe cleaners cut into short pieces
- Paper for wings
- Picture of an ant or a ladybird
Safety
Keep clay and pipe cleaners away from mouths. Pipe cleaner ends can be sharp: an adult cuts them and bends the ends over.
What to do
- Look at the picture. Count the body parts and the legs.
- Roll three balls of clay: one for the head, one for the thorax, one for the abdomen. Stick them together in a row.
- Push six pipe-cleaner legs into the middle part (the thorax).
- Push two short pipe cleaners into the head for antennae.
- Add paper wings if you want a flying insect.
- Now make a spider: two body parts and eight legs, no antennae. What is different?
Play: Insect or not?
Is it an insect (six legs) or not? Tap the right group.
Your best score is kept only on this device. Nothing is sent anywhere.
Quiz
Other ages: Ages 10–11 · Ages 15–16