Arachnidae

Arachnids are joint-legged invertebrates with eight legs. The term is derived from the Greek word αράχνη (arachne). In Greek Mythology Arachne, a renouned weaver, challenged godess Athena into a weaving contest. When the godess saw the immaculate piece of work of Arachne she got angry and transformed the girl into a spider, cursing her to be  weaving always hung from her handicraft.

Though usually believed to be insects, arachnids are a class of their own. The class comprises over 100,000 named species, including, amongst others, spiders and scorpions.

Photo by George J. Reclos