How many legs does a spider mite have? - briefly
Spider mites have eight legs, consistent with other arachnids. This leg count differentiates them from insects, which possess six.
How many legs does a spider mite have? - in detail
Spider mites belong to the class Arachnida, which characteristically possess eight walking limbs. An adult individual displays four pairs of legs, each attached to the ventral side of the cephalothorax. The legs are segmented into coxa, trochanter, femur, patella, tibia, and tarsus, ending in two claw-like structures that enable gripping of plant surfaces. Sensory hairs (setae) are distributed along the segments, providing tactile and chemical information.
During development, the first immature stage (the larva) bears only three pairs of legs, totaling six. After the first molt, the mite enters the protonymph stage and acquires the fourth pair, reaching the full complement of eight legs that persists through the deutonymph and adult phases.
Key morphological points:
- Number of limbs: 8 in mature stages; 6 in the larval stage.
- Segment composition: coxa → trochanter → femur → patella → tibia → tarsus.
- Terminal structures: paired claws with accompanying adhesive setae.
- Functionality: locomotion, attachment to foliage, and sensory detection.
Variations among species are limited; all known spider mite taxa retain the eight‑leg arrangement in their adult forms. Loss of a leg due to injury does not alter the species‑specific count but may impair mobility and feeding efficiency.