Everything about Insectivore totally explained
An
insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of
insects and similar small creatures.
Although individually small, insects exist in enormous numbers and make up a very large part of the animal
biomass in almost all non-marine environments. In
Queensland pastures, for example, it's normal to have a greater total weight of
Scarabaeidae larvae under the surface than of the beef cattle grazing above it.
A great many creatures depend on insects as their primary diet, and many that don't (and are thus not technically insectivores) nevertheless use insects as a
protein supplement, particularly when they're breeding.
The biological
order Insectivora includes a number of mammals which happen to be insectivores, but there's no necessary link. Just as many members of the order known as
Carnivora are actually omnivores (and one, the
Giant Panda, is an herbivore), several members of the
Insectivora don't eat insects.
Some examples of insectivores include
nightingale,
aardwolf,
echidna,
swallows,
anteaters,
carp,
frogs,
lizards,
bats, and
spiders. Insects also can be insectivores. Examples would be
dragonflies,
hornets,
ladybugs, and
praying mantises.
Insectivorous plants also exist, including the
Venus flytrap, several types of
pitcher plants,
butterworts,
sundews,
bladderworts, the
waterwheel plant,
brocchinia bromeliads, and others. These generally grow in
nitrogen-poor soils, which they instead obtain by trapping insects. Technically these plants are not strictly insectivorous, as they consume any animal small enough to be trapped by them; indeed, the larger varieties of pitcher plant have been known to consume small rodents and lizards.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Insectivore'.
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