Common Arachnids

Once again, the inclusion of this group of organisms is presented here out of convenience, as it was with the crustaceans. Thought processes often include the spiders with the insects in conversion, however, it should be clearly understood that these groups are not the same. They differ in many ways, the number of their legs being only one of their differences, albeit the most easily recognized distinguishing characteristic. For those of you that may be unfamiliar with both insects and arachnids, insects have six legs, while arachnids (spiders, tics, mites, among others) have eight legs. They share the wetland habitat and provide many of the same services to the ecosystem as the insects. Some are uniquely associated with wetlands and are highly dependent upon them for their apparent ability of being able to "walk on water." They are not actually walking on water, rather they glade across it on air bubbles held to the bottoms of their legs. Nonetheless, it is a remarkable adaptation of transportation not seen in many animals. Because of its uniqueness, a visitor to a calm cove can quickly identify the water strider.