| Insect | |
|---|---|
 A close-up image of a blowfly showing the compound eyes that are characteristic of insects | |
|
Kingdom |
Animalia |
|
Phylum |
Arthropoda |
|
Class |
Insecta |
Insects (from Latin insectum, borrowed from the Greek éntomon, "cut into sections") are a class of living creatures within the phylum arthropoda that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. They are among the most diverse groups of animals on the planet, including more than a million described species and represent more than half of all known living organisms. The number of extant species is estimated at between six and ten million. Insects may be found on every continent in every environment except Antarctica.
Humans regard certain insects as pests and attempt to control them using insecticides and a host of other techniques. Some insects damage crops by feeding on sap, leaves or fruits, a few bite humans and livestock, alive and dead, to feed on blood and some are capable of transmitting diseases to humans, pets and livestock. Nevertheless, without insects to pollinate flowers, the human race would soon run out of food because many of the crop plants that we rely on would not be able to reproduce. Many other insects are considered ecologically beneficial as predators and a few provide direct economic benefit.