Feeding Group

Putative Feeding

1

Plant feeding: Plant feeders: extract cell contents of vascular plants and algae by means of a stomatostyle or odontostyle

2

Hyphal feeding: fungus feeders: extract cell contents of fungal hyphae by means of a stomatostyle or odontostyle

3

Bacterial feeding: Bacteria feeders: feed on procaryotes by ingestion though stomas of various dimeters that may regulate the size of the cells ingested.

4

Substrate ingestion: May be incidental to bacterial- feeding, eukaryote feeding or ingestion during predation. Non-selective deposit feeding of freshwater and marine inhabitants fits into this category but may not be designated in the tables.

5

Animal predation: may be subdivided into Ingesters that ingest invertebrates such as protozoa, nematodes, enchtraeids, zooplankton so that the intestine may include identifiable remains of the prey,, and Piercers that suck body contents of the prey through a narrow stylet so that the intestine never contains intact remains of prey.

6

Unicellular Eucaryote feeding: Ingestion of diatoms, algae, fungal spores, yeast cells. May be applicable to many freshwater and marine taxa.

7

Dispersal of Infective Stages of Animal parasites. May include alternate or secondary hosts, as opposed to definitive hosts, of animal parasites, entomopathogenic species

8

Omnivorous: Difficult to define: may include dorylains that are considered generalist predators and may indicate use of a broad range of resources in Feeding Group categories 1-6.