cephalothorax
Spider's front segment
The cephalothorax is the fused head and thorax forming a single body section in spiders, crustaceans, and other arthropods.
Where insects have distinct head, thorax, and abdomen segments, a crab or spider combines the first two into one unit, with legs and mouthparts attached.
The term comes from Greek words for head and chest.
Web-spinning arachnid
- crabPincer-bearing shellfish
- lobsterLarge marine shellfish
- scorpionStinging arachnid with pincers
- horseshoe crabSpike-tailed marine arthropod
shrimp · crayfish · tick · harvestman · tarantula · decapod · arachnid · crustacean
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- cuticleDead skin at nail base
- integumentNatural outer covering
- shellHard outer covering
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
- headUppermost body part
- segmentationDivision into sections
- appendagesProjecting body parts
legs · mouthparts · antennae · eyes · somite
Joined by melting together
- mergedUnited into one
- unifiedCombined into one
- combinedMerged into one
- consolidatedMerged into a whole
joined · integrated · undivided · coalescence
spider
Web-spinning arachnid
horseshoe crab · shrimp · crayfish · tick · harvestman · tarantula · decapod · arachnid · crustacean · trilobite
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- chitinArthropod shell polymer
- cuticleDead skin at nail base
- integumentNatural outer covering
shell · molting · hardened · calcified · protective · armor · plate
carapace
Protective dorsal exoskeleton
- abdomenTorso's lower cavity
- headUppermost body part
- segmentationDivision into sections
appendages · legs · mouthparts · antennae · eyes · somite
fused
Joined by melting together
consolidated · joined · integrated · undivided · coalescence
thorax, thoracic, cephalic, cephalopod, encephalitis, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, encephalopathy, thoracotomy