insect

The word "insect" refers to a large group of small animals with six legs, antennae, and a hard outer covering called an exoskeleton. Their bodies usually have three main parts: the head, the thorax, and the abdomen. Many insects also have wings, although not all of them fly. Common insects include ants, bees, flies, butterflies, beetles, and grasshoppers.

The word is often used in both everyday speech and science. In daily life, people may casually call many tiny creatures "bugs," but in a stricter sense, an insect is a particular kind of animal with clear features. That is why a spider is not an insect, and neither is a worm or a centipede. The study of insects is called entomology.

Insects are a major part of life on Earth. Some are helpful because they pollinate flowers, clean up dead matter, or serve as food for birds, fish, and other animals. Others can be a problem by biting people, spreading disease, or damaging crops. Because they are so common and varied, the word "insect" can bring to mind anything from a bright butterfly in a garden to a mosquito buzzing near your ear on a summer night.