What distinguishes Class Arachnida membership for the Woodlouse Hunter Spider?

Answer

Possession of eight legs and a cephalothorax/abdomen division.

The Class Arachnida provides a critical refinement over the broader Phylum Arthropoda by specifying body organization and limb count, clearly separating spiders from insects. Arachnids are defined by having eight legs, which is the key differentiator from insects that possess only six. Furthermore, the body is fused into two primary regions: the cephalothorax (a fusion of the head and thorax) and the abdomen. Unlike insects which have three distinct body sections, the arachnid body layout is consolidated, and they typically feature specialized mouthparts like chelicerae and pedipalps instead of the prominent antennae seen on insects.

What distinguishes Class Arachnida membership for the Woodlouse Hunter Spider?
taxonomyspideranimalclassificationwoodlouse