How many legs does an insect have?
All adult insects have six legs, arranged in three pairs. Every leg attaches to the middle section of the insect's body, which is called the thorax.
An insect's body has three main parts: the head, the thorax and the abdomen. The legs and wings, if the insect has any, attach to the thorax. Each leg has several segments, and many insects have legs adapted for special jobs, such as jumping in grasshoppers, swimming in water beetles and digging in mole crickets.
The scientific name for insects' larger group, Hexapoda, means six feet. Insects are the largest group of animals on Earth, with about one million named species and many more yet to be discovered. Beetles alone make up roughly a quarter of all known animal species.
Fewer legs, or more?
Some insects appear to walk on four legs. Many butterflies, for example, have small front legs held close to their bodies. Caterpillars seem to have many legs, but only six are true legs; the others are fleshy stumps called prolegs. Centipedes and millipedes, with many legs, are not insects.
Did You Know?
Flies and bees can taste with their feet, using sensors that detect sugars and other chemicals when they land.