What is it called when something eats only insects?

December 29, 2025 •

4 min read

An estimated one billion billion insects exist on Earth at any given moment, making them an extremely abundant food source for many creatures. When an animal's diet consists exclusively or primarily of insects, it is known as an insectivore. This specialized diet is found across a wide range of species, from tiny shrews to some of the largest land mammals.

Quick Summary

An animal that eats insects is called an insectivore, a specialized type of carnivore. This feeding behavior is widespread among many creatures, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and even some plants, who all rely on insects as a primary food source.

Key Points

Term for Insect-Eater: An animal whose diet consists primarily or exclusively of insects is called an insectivore.
Variety of Creatures: This classification includes mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even some insects and plants.
Specialized Adaptations: Insectivores have evolved unique physical and behavioral traits for catching prey, such as long, sticky tongues, specialized beaks, and strong digging claws.
Ecosystem Importance: By controlling insect populations, insectivores play a vital role in pest control, nutrient cycling, and maintaining overall ecological balance.
Taxonomic Shift: The old scientific order 'Insectivora' is now largely abandoned, with animals reclassified into new groups like Eulipotyphla, but the term 'insectivore' is still widely used.
Abundant Food Source: With billions of insects globally, insectivory is a very successful feeding strategy that has been adopted by many different species.

Understanding the Insectivore Diet

Being an insectivore, or exhibiting insectivory, is a specific feeding behavior found in numerous animal species. While the term is often associated with small animals, it encompasses a broad spectrum of creatures, including some of the largest mammals. This dietary specialization is a response to the vast availability of insects, which are a concentrated source of protein and fats. For many animals, relying on this readily available food source has led to unique adaptations for catching and consuming insects.

Examples of Insectivorous Mammals

Mammalian insectivores showcase a variety of foraging behaviors and physical traits. Some are familiar, while others have more specialized lifestyles.

Anteaters: These famous insect-eaters use their strong claws to break into ant and termite mounds and their long, sticky tongues to slurp up their prey. The giant anteater can consume tens of thousands of insects a day.
Moles and Shrews: These small mammals hunt insects and other invertebrates living in the soil and leaf litter. Moles are expert diggers, while shrews have exceptionally high metabolic rates and must eat almost constantly.
Hedgehogs: Identified by their spiny coats, hedgehogs are nocturnal insectivores that roll into a ball for defense. Their diet includes insects, worms, and snails.
Pangolins: Also known as scaly anteaters, these unique mammals have a protective covering of keratin scales and use their long tongues to eat ants and termites.
Aardvarks: This African insectivore uses its powerful legs and claws to dig into termite and ant nests, relying on its keen sense of smell and hearing.

Birds That Specialize in Eating Insects

Many bird species are dedicated insectivores, often displaying impressive aerial acrobatics to catch their meals.

Swifts and Swallows: These are known as 'aerial insectivores' because they catch flying insects in their wide, soft mouths while on the wing.
Woodpeckers: These birds have powerful beaks to bore into tree bark, extracting insect larvae and grubs.
Flycatchers: As their name suggests, these birds sally out from perches to catch insects mid-flight.

Other Insectivorous Animals and Plants

The insectivore diet is not exclusive to mammals and birds. It can be found across the animal kingdom and even in the plant world.

Amphibians and Reptiles: Many frogs, lizards (like chameleons and geckos), and some snakes rely on insects for sustenance.
Spiders and other Arthropods: A vast majority of spiders are insectivores, trapping prey in webs or hunting them directly. Other insects, such as dragonflies and ladybugs, are also insectivores.
Carnivorous Plants: Certain plants, like the Venus flytrap and pitcher plants, have evolved to supplement their nutrient intake by trapping and digesting insects. This is particularly common in nitrogen-poor soil.

Comparison of Insectivore Foraging Adaptations

Different types of insectivores have evolved specialized tools and behaviors to efficiently capture and consume their insect prey.


Feature	Anteater	Chameleon	Chimney Swift	Hedgehog
Primary Tool	Long, sticky tongue; strong claws	Ballistic tongue	Wide mouth for aerial capture	Good sense of smell
Foraging Method	Raids ant/termite nests	Sit-and-wait ambush	Catches insects in flight	Digs in soil and litter
Defense Mechanism	Claws, strong arms	Camouflage	Speed, aerial agility	Rolls into spiny ball
Habitat	Terrestrial	Arboreal	Aerial, nests in cavities	Terrestrial
Associated Adaptation	Thick skin resistant to bites	Independently moving eyes	Long, narrow wings	Spines of keratin

The Importance of Insectivores in the Ecosystem

Insectivores are a crucial component of healthy ecosystems, providing numerous benefits that help maintain balance.

Pest Control: By preying on insects, insectivores help control populations of potential agricultural and urban pests. For example, bats are responsible for eating huge quantities of flying insects like mosquitoes.
Nutrient Cycling: Insects are vital decomposers, and by consuming them, insectivores help process and distribute these nutrients throughout the food web. When larger predators consume the insectivores, the nutrients continue to move up the chain.
Ecological Health: The presence of a diverse insectivore population is often an indicator of a healthy, functioning ecosystem. Their role in maintaining the balance of insect populations is fundamental.

The Historical Classification of Insectivora

It is worth noting that the scientific classification of insectivores has evolved over time. Historically, many small insect-eating mammals were grouped into a single taxonomic order called Insectivora. However, as genetic research progressed, scientists realized that many of these species were not closely related and the order was reclassified. Modern classification has placed these animals into different orders, with the group now known as Eulipotyphla containing shrews, moles, and hedgehogs. This change in taxonomy reflects a deeper understanding of evolutionary relationships, though the term "insectivore" remains a widely used descriptive term for any creature with this diet.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the term for a creature that eats only or mainly insects is an insectivore. This specialized dietary strategy is adopted by a wide array of animals and even some plants, all of which have evolved unique adaptations to thrive on this nutrient-rich food source. From the powerful digging of an aardvark to the sticky tongue of a chameleon, insectivores play an essential role in controlling insect populations and maintaining the delicate balance of ecosystems worldwide.

Frequently Asked Questions

An insectivore is a specific type of carnivore, with a diet that is mainly or entirely insects. All insectivores are carnivores, but not all carnivores are insectivores. Carnivores, such as lions and wolves, prey on larger animals.

No, humans are typically not classified as insectivores. While some cultures practice entomophagy (the eating of insects by humans), insects are not a primary part of the human diet globally. We are considered omnivores because our diet includes both plants and animals.

Yes, some plants are insectivores. These are typically found in nutrient-poor environments, and they use specialized structures like traps or sticky surfaces to capture and digest insects for nutrients.

Common examples of insectivorous birds include swifts, swallows, flycatchers, and woodpeckers. These birds have evolved specific behaviors, such as aerial hunting or probing tree bark, to catch their prey.

Entomophagy is the practice of eating insects. While insectivory describes any animal that eats insects, entomophagy specifically refers to humans and other primates consuming them.

Insectivores use a variety of hunting strategies to find their prey. Many rely on keen senses, including excellent vision, hearing (like bats using echolocation), and a strong sense of smell. Some use specialized tactics like the 'sit-and-wait' ambush, while others actively forage or hunt on the wing.

While the term implies a strict diet of insects, most insectivores also consume other small invertebrates, such as spiders, worms, or centipedes. Some larger species may even occasionally supplement their diet with small mammals or amphibians, particularly when insects are scarce.