predatory insects
Bugs that hunt
Predatory insects are insects that hunt and consume other organisms, typically other insects or small invertebrates.
Ladybugs, praying mantises, and dragonflies are common examples.
The term appears frequently in discussions of biological pest control, where predatory insects are introduced to manage crop-damaging species without chemical pesticides: We released predatory insects to control the aphid infestation.
- ladybugsSpotted red beetles
- ambushSurprise strike from concealment
- stalkingStealthy, persistent pursuit
- hunting strategyMethod for catching prey
- mandiblesPaired arthropod mouthparts
venom glands · pursuit · pest control · dragonflies · antlion · ground beetles · tiger beetle · natural predators · food chain · biological control · parasitic wasps · trapping · compound eyes · death grip · Hemiptera · camouflage patterns · buzzing · entomology
- farm ecologyagroforestry, biological control, companion planting, cover crops, earthworms
- Megalopterafishflies, larvae, larval stage, mandibles, gills
predatory insectsdecomposers
Organisms breaking down dead material
aphids · caterpillars · dung beetles · detritivores · grasshoppers