Detritivore

A dung beetle rolling a ball of dung

Detritivores (also known as detrivores or detritus feeders) are animals and plants that consume detritus (decomposing organic material), and in doing so contribute to decomposition and the recycling of nutrients.

By consuming dead organic matter they speed up decomposition by increasing the surface area available to detritvoric bacteria.

Groups of detritivorous animals include millipedes, woodlice, dung flies, many terrestrial worms and burying beetles.

In detritivory term, from Wetzel (2001) wrote, the intake of non-living particulate organic matter and the microorganisms associated with it.

Most detritivores live in mature woodland, though the term can be applied to certain bottom-feeders in wet environments. These organisms play a crucial role in benthic ecosystems, forming essential food chains and participating in the nitrogen cycle.

[edit] References

Wetzel, R. G. 2001. Limnology: Lake and River Ecosystems. Academic Press. 3rd. p.700.
The Infamous Detritivore - Reef Keeping Online Magazine
Nitrogen in Benthic Food Chains. Kenneth R. Tenore. 1988, SCOPE publication.