The insectivorous animals are all that feed exclusively on insects that feed or mostly by ingesting . Among these animals we find mammals, reptiles, amphibians , fish, arthropods such as spiders and scorpions, and even other insects that feed on smaller species. Insectivores, as well as carnivores and herbivores , have characteristics in their bodies that allow them to access and consume their food.
There are some insectivores that extract insects from the subsoil ; This is the case of the anteater, a mammal that has a long trunk which can enter a hole or colony of ants, and allows it to reach a good depth to get enough supplies and satisfy its hunger. Although many omnivores (animals that eat everything) are on this list, they are considered insectivores simply because they have insects in their diet.
There are animals that, depending on the stage of development in which they are, are insectivores. This is the case of reptiles such as crocodiles, which in the first weeks after hatching from the egg feed only on insects and, as their development and growth progress, they begin to consume small species of fish, helping themselves with their sharp and numerous teeth. Some lizards eat mosquitoes and small spiders, which is helpful in homes.
Insects are a very abundant nutritional source because they are rich in protein and carbohydrates , especially if they have a shell like beetles. Insectivorous animals usually supplement with fruits and herbs when they need to improve their energy reserves, in the case of winter seasons. Some of them take refuge under the ground and there they build their burrow, where many more insects can also come to eat them.
Examples of insectivorous animals:
Some insects that eat insects:
- Wasps
- Acrobat ant
- Velvety Tree Ant
- Bullet Ant
- Chicatana Ant
- Corn Ant
- Pharaoh Ant
- Yellow Big Ant
- Robber ant
- Crazy ant
- Praying mantis
Some mammals that eat insects:
- Armadillo
- Aardvark
- Common hedgehog
- Hedgehog atelerix
- Hedgehog erinaceus
- Bat
- Shrew
- Anteater
- Sugar glider
- Moles
Some Reptiles that eat insects:
- Ameiva
- Anniella
- Bipes
- Blanus
- Chameleons
- Cnemidophorus
- Cophosaurus
- Cordylus (ring-tailed lizards)
- Geckos
- Holbrookia
- Iguanas (Leiocephalus)
- Cinderella lizard
- Long-tailed lizard
- Pipe lizard
- Rock lizard
- Lizards
- Crystal lizard
- Lizards
- Moloch horridus
- Petrosaurus
- Rhineura
- Geckos
- Sceloropus (spiny lizards)
- Chionactes Snake
- Sonoran snake
- Storeria red-bellied snake
- Ficimia Snake
- Glyalopion Snake
- Liopeltis Snake
- Opheodrys snake
- Tantilla snake
- Urosaurus
- Xantusia
Some insectivorous fish:
- Tents:
- Cypriniformes:
- Mormiridae:
- Rainbow fish:
- Cichlid fish:
- Tang fish:
- puffer fish:
- Ax Fish:
- Petilids:
- Beta fish
- catfish:
- Killis fish
- Serrasalmids:
- Toxotides:
Some examples of insectivorous arthropods (scorpions):
- Arizona Bark Scorpion
- Albino Scorpion
- Blue scorpion
- Sand Scorpion
- Red Claw Scorpion
- Golden or Yellow Scorpion
- Emperor Scorpion
- Whip Scorpion
- Lesser Brown Scorpion
- Black scorpion
- Red Scorpion
- Tailless scorpion
- Albino scorpions
- Scorpions in gardens
- Whip scorpions
- Deadly scorpions
- Tailless scorpions
- Poisonous scorpions
- Scorpion species
- Pseudoscorpions
Some examples of insectivorous arachnids:
- Achaearanea cf.mundula
- Actinopodidae
- Agelenidae
- Amaurobiidae
- Anelosimus eximius
- Antrodiaetidae
- Anyphaenidae
- Araneidae
- Fiddler spider
- Giant Huntress Spider
- Red back spider
- Hercules spider
- Wolf spider
- Wolf spider
- Funnel web spider
- Arthrolycosidae (similar to the wolf spider)
- Arthromygalidae (similar to tarantula)
- Atypidae
- Barychelidae
- Caponiidae
- Clubionidae
- Corinnidae
- Ctenidae
- Ctenizidae
- Cybaeidae
- Cyrtaucheniidae
- Deinopidae
- Desidae
- Dictynidae
- Diguetidae
- Dipluridae
- Dysderidae
- Eresidae
- Filistatidae
- Gnaphosidae
- Golliat (eats birds, although it is mainly an insectivorous spider this is characterized because it can also feed on birds and small rodents).
- Hahniidae
- Hersiliidae
- Hexathelidae
- Hypochilidae
- Idiopidae
- Leptonetidae
- Linyphiidae
- Liocranidae
- Liphistiidae (mesolet spiders)
- Lycosidae
- Mecicobothriidae
- Microstigmatidae
- Migidae
- Mimetidae
- Miturgidae
- Nemesiidae
- Nephilidae
- Nesticidae
- Oecobiidae
- Oonopidae
- Oxyopidae
- Palpimanidae
- Paratropididae
- Philodromidae
- Pholcidae
- Pisauridae
- Plectreuridae
- Salticidae
- Scytodidae
- Segestriidae
- Selenopidae
- Sicariidae
- Sparassidae
- Goliath tarantula
- King baboon tarantula
- Tengellidae
- Tetragnathidae
- Theraphosidae
- Theridiidae
- Thomisidae
- Titanoecidae
- Uloboridae
- Black widow
- Zodariidae
- Zorocratidae
- Zoropsidae
Some insectivorous amphibians:
- Vermilion frog
- Bull frog
- European green frog
- Salamander
- Spotted toad
- Pintojo toad
- Runner toad
- Marine toad
- Midwife toad
- Green toad
- Fire-bellied toad
- Triton
Some examples of insectivorous birds:
- Bee-eater
- Hoopoe
- Starling
- chickens
- Swallow
- turkeys
- Goldfinch
- Blackbird
- Woodpecker
- Flycatcher
- Parulids
- Robin
- Mockingbird
- Tyranids
- verdines
- Thrush
