arthropod

noun

Etymology: From New Latin Arthropoda, from Ancient Greek ἄρθρον (árthron, “joint”) + πούς (poús, “foot”), equivalent to arthro- + -pod.

1. An invertebrate animal of the phylum Arthropoda, characterized by a chitinous exoskeleton and multiple jointed appendages.

   “In at least one other arthropod, the Stalk-eyed fly, it is the sheer length of the stalks themselves, which can be longer than the animal's body, which make the male attractive to females.”

   “The arthropods of the forest biome can be divided into two ecological groups: the cryptozoic inhabitants of the soil and leaf litter, and the terrestrial and arboreal forms that live in more exposed localities.”