The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. The thorax is a division of an Animal 's body that lies between the head and the Abdomen. Insects ( Class Insecta) are a major group of Arthropods and the most diverse group of Animals on the Earth with over a million described The arthropod leg is a form of jointed Appendage of Arthropods usually used for Walking. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum (ventral), and the metapleuron (lateral) on each side. A sclerite ( Greek skleros meaning " hard " is a hardened body part An exoskeleton is an external Skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body in contrast to the internal Endoskeleton of for example a Human. In Anatomy, the dorsum is the upper side of animals that typically run fly or swim in a horizontal position and the back side of animals (like humans that walk upright In fields of Anatomy, anatomical terms of location are descriptive terms to help identify relative positions or directions within a species The metathorax is the segment that bears the hindwings in most winged insects, though sometimes these may be reduced or modified, as in Diptera, in which they are reduced to form halteres, or flightless beetles (Coleoptera), in which they may be completely absent even though forewings are still present. Insect wings are outgrowths of the Insect Exoskeleton that enable insects to fly. True flies are Insects of the Order Diptera ( Greek: di = two and pteron = wing possessing a single pair of This article concerns insect anatomy For halteres as used in ancient sports see Halteres (ancient Greece Halteres (hælˈtɪəriːz singular Beetles are the group of Insects with the largest number of known Species. Beetles are the group of Insects with the largest number of known Species. All adult insects possess legs on the metathorax. In most groups of insects, the metanotum is reduced relative to the mesonotum. The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments in the Thorax of an Insect, and bears the second pair of legs In the suborder Apocrita of the Hymenoptera, the first abdominal segment is fused to the metathorax, and is then called the propodeum. Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects comprising the sawflies, Wasps Bees and Ants The name refers to In Vertebrates such as Mammals the abdomen (belly constitutes the part of the body between the Thorax (chest and Pelvis. The propodeum is the first abdominal segment in Apocrita Hymenoptera ( Wasps Bees and Ants.