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Insects and other arthropods

Decomposers and tillers insects

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Canthon sp., United States.
Photo: Insectarium de Montréal (Paul Harrison)
Canthon sp., United States.
  • Canthon sp., United States.
  • Scarabaeus sacer, South Africa.
  • Calliphoridae, Québec, Canada.

Certain insects play a fundamental role in forming soil and maintaining its fertility. By digging tunnels in the earth, they aerate and loosen the soil, promoting plant growth. Without scavenger-decomposer insects, the soil would be strewn with waste, corpses and fecal matter, leading to the growth of potentially dangerous bacteria.

Decomposers are masters of recycling. Thanks to them, nutrients in excrement and dead plants and animals are made available for plants and the entire ecosystem.