What characteristic describes the Class Insecta within the arthropod phylum?
Answer
Having three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen), six legs, and usually wings.
The Class Insecta represents a massive subdivision within the Phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a specific body plan that distinguishes insects from other arthropods like spiders (which have two body parts) or crustaceans. The defining characteristics include a body divided distinctly into three segments: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Furthermore, adult insects invariably possess six legs, which are attached to the thorax. In the adult stage, they also typically possess one or two pairs of wings, differentiating them from many other invertebrate groups.
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