524
#notaworm (mander.xyz)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] JoMiran@lemmy.ml 36 points 3 weeks ago

I am ignorant in this field. If not an insect, what is it? [Serious question]

[-] SmoothLiquidation@lemmy.world 55 points 3 weeks ago

These are part of their own family of invertebrates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onychophora

Insects are a specific family that have 6 legs. So a bee or an ant are insects but a spider or a rolls polly is not.

[-] flora_explora@beehaw.org 17 points 3 weeks ago

Well... The taxonomy of invertebrates is pretty complicated and diverse and there are many huge groups of invertebrates. Velvet worms (Onychophora) seem to be their own thing, so maybe just think of them as another invertebrate group. Like molluscs (snails, mussels, cephalopods), or tardigrades or nematodes, these are all their own groups as well. But obviously this is all much more complicated if you look at it in detail.

Insects are also invertebrates, but are just one group within the arthropods, which also contain e.g. spiders, crustaceans, millipedes. Maybe a good rule would be that there aren't any worms in the insects. And that all insects have six legs. So if something has more legs, it's not an insect.

Hope that helps? The more you dig down into taxonomy, the more interesting it gets!! And insect taxonomy in itself is just so huge and mind-boggling :)

[-] d00ery@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

It's a Pokémon [not a serious answer]

[-] sebsch@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 3 weeks ago

I can't help with what it is, but I can say why it can't be an insect. All insects have per definition exactly 6 legs.

[-] atyaz@hexbear.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

But don't insect larvae sometimes look kind of like that

[-] Belly_Beanis@hexbear.net 3 points 3 weeks ago

Yeah. Caterpillars are moth/butterfly larvae, which are insects. I think ant and termite larva are similar (but stumpier).

[-] Evilsandwichman@hexbear.net 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Mollusk probably (edit: snails and worms are mollusks)

[-] courier8377@hexbear.net 2 points 3 weeks ago

They constitute their own phylum, Onychophora!

this post was submitted on 06 Sep 2024
524 points (98.5% liked)

Science Memes

10464 readers
2508 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.



Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.


Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS