panoplus was a strict herbivore and
detritivore (Burress et al., 2013) while most of the other species were omnivores.
Elmidae are
detritivores, and were associated with the phytotelmata of bamboo and of floral bracts of palm trees in Venezuela (Sanchez & Liria 2009).
Interactions between a detrital resource pulse and a
detritivore community.
Detritivores exhibited the second highest species richness (eight species).
Termites are major
detritivores, particularly in the subtropical and tropical regions, and their recycling of wood and plant matter is of considerable ecological importance.
Detritivores in Kenya highland streams: more evidence for the paucity of shredders in the tropics?
In terms of biomass, cockroaches are of utmost importance because of large individual body size as compared to other
detritivores. In this way cockroaches constitutes about 24.3% of invertebrates biomass (Basset, 2001).
(2012) to state that tropical stream
detritivores are particularly at risk from climate changes, given their high beta diversity, with much place-to-place uniqueness in the species present.
Both species are primarily
detritivores and algivores and are facultatively predaceous on small invertebrates (McKinley, 1973; Fisher et al., 1981); therefore, we consider it unlikely that they prey considerably upon the terrestrial organisms that fall into these flash-flood waters.
They cycle energy through the aquatic system as herbivores, predators, and
detritivores. They capture and eat mollusks, leeches, insects, and small fish along with vegetation.