dendrophagy
- Pronunciation
- /den-DROH-fuh-jee/
- Category
- Behavior
- Singular
- dendrophagy
- Plural
- dendrophagies
Definition
The behavior of feeding on wood or tree tissues, typically observed in certain insects, particularly termites and some beetles.
Etymology
From Greek 'dendron', meaning 'tree', and 'phagein', meaning 'to eat'.
Example
Termites are well-known for their dendrophagy, causing significant damage to wooden structures.
Synonyms
- Wood-feeding
- Xylophagy
Related Terms
- Termites
- Wood-boring
- Xylophagous insects
- Decomposer
Usage Notes
Dendrophagy plays an important ecological role in the decomposition of dead trees and nutrient recycling in forest ecosystems.