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In English is it correct to say spiders are insects? In my native language (portuguese) it would be not accurate, as they are arachnida class, along with scorpi

by panxie 10y ago

In English is it correct to say spiders are insects? In my native language (portuguese) it would be not accurate, as they are arachnida class, along with scorpions,mites and ticks.

nickff 10y ago
Spiders are not insects; from Wikipedia: "terrestrial arthropods, such as centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, and spiders, are sometimes confused with insects"[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect#Phylogeny_and_evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect#Phylogeny_and_evolution
mratzloff 10y ago
No, it's not.
chc 10y ago
It's not correct, but it's a pretty common mistake to refer to bugs in general as "insects."
- pavel_lishin 10y ago
  And even saying "bugs in general" is technically inaccurate! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
sqeaky 10y ago
A good word for something that encompasses all things creepy, crawly and tiny without involving scientific classification is "bug". Most english would agree that most spiders, ants, bees, centipedes and other like it are all bugs. This breaks down in Australia where the spiders are as big as your head or in Puerto Rico where the foot long centipedes eat bats. Those aren't bugs, those are nightmare fuel.
- david-given 10y ago
  'Bug' in that context is mostly American dialect. I'm British, and 'bug' in that context is infantile; by adults, it's either a verb or a small device planted by MI5. But the OP is right, of course. Spiders are not insects. Although I suspect that most people I'd talk to in the UK would call them such. I'll have to hand in my Pedant's Society card (which is actually made out of plastic)...
  - dghughes 10y ago
    Then again the little grey oval Pill bug is a crustacean not an insect and not an arachnid.
    - pacaro 10y ago
      And also another source of British vs. American dialect difference/confusion. In my experience, they're known in the U.K. as "woodlice", but in the US it's entirely reasonable for grown adults to refer to them as "roly-polys" The American use of "critter" also bemuses
      - hnal943 10y ago
        "critter" is a corruption of "creature" and distinctly southern USA (to my Midwestern ears).
BurningFrog 10y ago
Not among biologists :) In real life many people call spiders insects, either from ignorance or from not caring about the distinction.
- khazhou 10y ago
  Mostly, though, to humiliate them.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
dspillett 10y ago
No, they are not referred to as insects in (correct) English either, they are arachnids - though sometimes people do not make the distinction. To refer to both insects and spiders & similar in one term you could use the (rather less formal) terms "bugs" or "creepy crawlies". I can 't think of anything more formal off the top of my head.

by panxie 10y ago

In English is it correct to say spiders are insects? In my native language (portuguese) it would be not accurate, as they are arachnida class, along with scorpions,mites and ticks.

nickff 10y ago

Spiders are not insects; from Wikipedia: "terrestrial arthropods, such as centipedes, millipedes, scorpions, and spiders, are sometimes confused with insects"[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect#Phylogeny_and_evolution https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insect#Phylogeny_and_evolution

mratzloff 10y ago

No, it's not.

chc 10y ago

It's not correct, but it's a pretty common mistake to refer to bugs in general as "insects."

pavel_lishin 10y ago
And even saying "bugs in general" is technically inaccurate! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemiptera
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

sqeaky 10y ago

A good word for something that encompasses all things creepy, crawly and tiny without involving scientific classification is "bug". Most english would agree that most spiders, ants, bees, centipedes and other like it are all bugs. This breaks down in Australia where the spiders are as big as your head or in Puerto Rico where the foot long centipedes eat bats. Those aren't bugs, those are nightmare fuel.

david-given 10y ago
'Bug' in that context is mostly American dialect. I'm British, and 'bug' in that context is infantile; by adults, it's either a verb or a small device planted by MI5. But the OP is right, of course. Spiders are not insects. Although I suspect that most people I'd talk to in the UK would call them such. I'll have to hand in my Pedant's Society card (which is actually made out of plastic)...
- dghughes 10y ago
  Then again the little grey oval Pill bug is a crustacean not an insect and not an arachnid.
  - pacaro 10y ago
    And also another source of British vs. American dialect difference/confusion. In my experience, they're known in the U.K. as "woodlice", but in the US it's entirely reasonable for grown adults to refer to them as "roly-polys" The American use of "critter" also bemuses
    - hnal943 10y ago
      "critter" is a corruption of "creature" and distinctly southern USA (to my Midwestern ears).

BurningFrog 10y ago

Not among biologists :) In real life many people call spiders insects, either from ignorance or from not caring about the distinction.

khazhou 10y ago
Mostly, though, to humiliate them.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

dspillett 10y ago

No, they are not referred to as insects in (correct) English either, they are arachnids - though sometimes people do not make the distinction. To refer to both insects and spiders & similar in one term you could use the (rather less formal) terms "bugs" or "creepy crawlies". I can 't think of anything more formal off the top of my head.