An insect is a small animal that has six legs. Most insects have wings. Ants, flies, butterflies, and beetles are all insects. a small creature such as a fly or ant, that has six legs, and sometimes wings (insectum, from insecare ; because insects have a body in separate parts). Any member of the class Insecta, the largest arthropod class, including nearly 1 million known species (about three-fourths of all animals) and an estimated 5-10 million undescribed species. Insect bodies have three segments: head, thorax (which bears three pairs of legs and usually two pairs of wings), and many-segmented abdomen. Many species undergo complete metamorphosis. There are two subclasses: Apterygota (primitive, wingless forms, including silverfish and bristletails) and Pterygota (more advanced, winged or secondarily wingless forms). The approximately 27 orders of Pterygota are generally classified by wing form: e.g., Coleoptera (beetles), Diptera (dipterans), Heteroptera (bugs). Insects are found in almost all terrestrial and freshwater and some marine habitats
An arthropod with an external skeleton, 3 body sections, usually 3 pairs of jointed legs, antennae, and sometimes wings
The largest CLASS of ARTHROPODS An insect's body is divided into three parts: head; THORAX and ABDOMEN Three pairs of jointed legs are borne on the thorax, which is the location in many insects for a pair of wings There are an estimated