Saproxylic insect
A saproxylic insect depends during some part of its life cycle on dead or decaying wood, or on organisms associated with it.
Deadwood: Dead or dying wood from trees, including fallen logs, branches, and standing snags. It is the shared habitat that defines saproxylic dependence.
Xylophagy: The consumption of wood as food. Some saproxylic larvae feed directly on woody tissue, often after microbial conditioning.
Deadwood management: The deliberate retention, creation, or removal of dead wood in managed landscapes. Management choices determine the quantity, types, and continuity of insect habitat.
Xylophagous insect: An insect that feeds on wood, whether the wood is living or dead. Wood feeding alone does not establish saproxylic dependence on dead or decaying wood.
Wood decomposition: The physical and biological breakdown of woody plant material into simpler substances. Its stages create different conditions and resources for saproxylic insects.
Mycophagy: The consumption of fungi or fungal structures. Many saproxylic insects use fungi growing in deadwood as food.
Forest biodiversity: The variety of life forms and ecological communities found in forests. Saproxylic insects contribute substantially to forest species diversity and ecological functions.
Phytophagous insect: An insect that feeds on living plants or plant tissues. Many plant-feeding insects use living trees without depending on deadwood.
Wood-decay fungus: A fungus that breaks down structural compounds in wood. Fungal growth alters deadwood and supplies food or habitat for many associated insects.
Saproxylic food web: The network of feeding relationships among organisms dependent on dead or decaying wood. It includes insects feeding on wood, fungi, prey, and other deadwood inhabitants.