Functional Feeding Group Descriptions for Stream Macroinvertebrates

 

Feeding Group
Mechanism
Source
Shredders chewing wood, leaves, etc. (CPOM) living/decaying plant tissue
Collectors filtering/gathering fine particulate organic material (FPOM)
Scrapers rasping periphyton
Predators engulfing/piercing whole animals/animal tissues
Piercers sucking living hydrophytes (plants)
Parasites invasion living animal or plant tissue