Are Insects Animals?

Written by

Melissa Petruzzello

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Although people sometimes use animals informally to mean only vertebrates (animals with backbones) or even just mammals, in biology the term includes insects as well. Insects belong to the kingdom Animalia, along with mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, octopuses, snails, jellyfish, worms, and many other groups. More specifically, insects are invertebrates (animals without backbones) and are part of the arthropod phylum, which also includes spiders, crabs, and centipedes. In fact, insects are by far the...

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