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Definition

noun, plural: detritivores

An organism that feeds on detritus or organic waste.

Supplement

Examples include millipedes, woodlice, dung flies, many terrestrial worms and burying beetles.

By consuming dead organic matter they speed up decomposition by increasing the surface area available to detritivoric bacteria.

Also called: detrivore, detritus feeder.
Compare: carnivore, herbivore.
See also: detritus.