Arthropods are animals belonging to the Phylum Arthropoda (from Greek arthron, "joint", and podos "foot", which together mean "jointed feet"), and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others. Arthropods are characterized by their jointed limbs and cuticles. The rigid cuticle inhibits growth, so arthropods replace it periodically by molting. The arthropod body plan consists of repeated segments, each with a pair of appendages. It is so versatile that they have been compared to Swiss Army knives, and it has enabled them to become the most species-rich members of all ecological guilds in most environments. They have over a million described species, making up more than 80% of all described living species, and are one of only two groups very successful in dry environments – the other is amniotes. They range in size from microscopic plankton up to forms a few metres long.

Photo: A robberfly with its prey, a hoverfly