When you were in your high school classes, there is a distinct probability that you learned about the phylum of termites.

Termites are in the arthropod phylum. This group consists of insects, crustaceans, millipedes, centipedes, pauropodans, symphylans, and trilobites, which have gone extinct long ago. In fact, if you wander parts of the Canadian coastline, you will find mass graves of trilobite fossils.

The phylum of termites is a group of creatures that consist of the harmful and the benign – at least as far as humans are concerned. The way you can tell an arthropod apart from other creatures is to observe their segmented bodies encapsulated with a protective exoskeleton.

The majority of species in this phylum are land-dwelling, but there are several species that live in the water.

Phylum TermitesEach different grouping within the phylum of termites has different characteristics. For instance, crustaceans include lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. These creatures, for the most part, live in the water. Some are able to travel onto dry land, but the water is where they thrive. These creatures can eat plants or other creatures and are important to the ecology where they live.

Within the phylum of termites exist the class of insects, consisting of nearly one million different species of insects. Within this group, life forms are highly varied and have evolved to survive in different climates. Insects are particularly hardy and greatly outnumber humans on planet Earth. While most people consider insects to be nothing more than pests, it is obvious that they are an important part of the food chain. Most insects, like termites, can have wings. Many, however, do not.

If you are interested in learning more about the phylum of termites, you should take some time to familiarize yourself with various websites that have tons of information on the topic. The phylum of termites is an exciting topic to learn about because it sheds light on how important, and pesky, these little critters really are!