Habitats

Depending upon species, arthropods live in various habitats. The following are some of the factors that control habitats of arthropods: food, disease, breeding media, climate, competition, natural enemies and etc. The habitats of arthropod include soil, water, ambient air, man, animal and plants.

1. The soil:

Arthropods may be found on the surface of the soil or under ground (in pebbles, in bolder, in caves, in the sand, in lime stone formations, etc). Examples: ants, termites, beetles, spiders, wasps, mites, scorpions, flies, crickets, cockroaches,

moths, fleas, cicadas, etc.

2. Water

Arthropods may live in fresh waters (natural or man made), salty waters (Oceans, seas) or hot springs. Examples of water dwellers are: backswimmers, crabs, lobsters, crayfish, etc.

3. In the ambient air (temporary fliers)

The ambient air although can not be a permanent habitat, some arthropods specially the fliers can be found temporarily.

The fliers are fast spreaders of contamination and pollutions.

Flying is high civilization in the culture of arthropods (as well as man).

Speed is one of the factors for survival of the fittest.

Therefore, it is hard to control the fliers. Examples of fliers are: Bees, beetles, mosquitoes, flies, grasshoppers, wasps, butterflies, moths, dragonflies, ants and termites (initially), etc.

4. On man: Ectoparasites- these are dangerous groups to health since they feed on human blood. These parasitic arthropods could be obligatory ectoparasites (example

louse) or intermittent (on and off: example ticks).

5. On animals: Examples lice, ticks, mites, fleas, mosquitoes, ox-warble fly, etc.

6. On plants: Examples Beetles, aphids, spiders, gall insects, scale insects, manna insects, lacs etc.