Amateur
Entomologists'
Society

Abdomen

The abdomen is one of the three main body segments (or tagmata) of insects. It is also the name given to one of the two main body parts of spiders although this is more commonly known as the Opisthosoma.

The abdomen is the posterior most of the segments. In most insects clear segmentation can be seen in the abdomen.

The abdomen contains the heart, reproductive organs, mid-gut and other digestive organs.

An illustration of the general structure of an insect.

Abdomen (or Opisthosoma) is also the name given to the posterior segment in arachnids:

An illustration of the general structure of an arachnid.

Other names for (or types of) Abdomen include:

Related terms

Related groups of terms

Related pages on this web site

See other words beginning with A

Browse terms by A-Z

Back to Glossary

If you have found this glossary useful please consider supporting the Amateur Entomologists' Society by becoming a member or making a donation.