Knowra Opisthosoma Opisthosoma The posterior body region of a chelicerates, behind the prosoma. It may contain digestive, respiratory, and reproductive organs, and can be segmented or fused.
Chelicerata : An arthropod subphylum that includes spiders, scorpions, mites, ticks, and horseshoe crabs. The opisthosoma is one of the two main body regions defining the typical chelicerate body plan.
Book lung : A respiratory organ composed of stacked, leaflike plates within a chamber, found in many arachnids. In spiders and scorpions, book lungs are housed in the opisthosoma.
Spider : An arachnid with two main body regions, eight legs, and silk-producing spinnerets. A spider’s opisthosoma bears respiratory organs, reproductive structures, and spinnerets.
Abdomen (arthropod anatomy) : The posterior body region of many arthropods, usually behind the thorax. “Abdomen” is often used informally for an opisthosoma, but the terms derive from different body plans.
Prosoma : The anterior body region of a chelicerate, typically bearing the eyes, mouthparts, and walking legs. It is the body region in front of the opisthosoma, separated from it by a joint or narrowing.
Tracheal system : A network of air-filled tubes that delivers oxygen directly to tissues in many arthropods. Tracheae open through respiratory structures located on the opisthosoma in many arachnids.
Scorpion : An arachnid with pincers and a segmented tail ending in a venomous stinger. Its elongated opisthosoma includes the metasoma, or tail-like posterior section.
Metasoma : The narrow, tail-like posterior portion of a scorpion’s opisthosoma. It is only one subdivision of the scorpion opisthosoma, not the entire region.
Arthropod tagma : A major body region formed by the fusion or grouping of segments in an arthropod. The opisthosoma is a tagma made from posterior segments.
Malpighian tubule : An excretory tube in many arthropods that removes wastes from the hemolymph and empties them into the gut. These tubules connect excretion with the digestive tract in the posterior body region.
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