Insects
- are a class of invertebrates within the arthropod phylum that have a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes and one pair of antennae.
- Insects are a very successful group, due to their exoskeleton and tracheae, which are very good at stopping water from evaporating from insects’s body, so they can live in very dry places.
The Respiratory System of Insects
Air enters the respiratory systems of most insects through a series of external openings called spiracles. These external openings, which act as muscular valves in some insects, lead to the internal respiratory system, a densely networked array of tubes called tracheae. This network of transverse and longitudinal tracheae equalizes pressure throughout the system.