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Insects and Invertebrates
Tootgarook Swamp has large numbers of insect and invertebrate species making it a valuable feeding ground for many species.
Insects play one of the most important roles in their ecosystems, which includes many roles, such as soil turning and aeration, dung burial, pest control, pollination and wildlife nutrition. An example is the beetles, which are scavengers that feed on dead animals and fallen trees and thereby recycle biological materials into forms found useful by other organisms.These insects, and others, are responsible for much of the process by which topsoil is created.
Many types of insects play significant roles in the ecology of the Tootgarook Swamp, due to their vast diversity of form, function and life-style; their considerable biomass; and their interaction with plant life, other organisms and the environment. Since they are the major contributor to biodiversity in the majority of habitats, they accordingly play a variety of extremely important ecological roles in the many functions of an eco-system. Taking the case of nutrient recycling; insects contribute to this vital function by degrading or consuming leaf litter, wood, carrion and dung and by dispersal of fungi.
Insects form an important part of the complex food web of the Tootgarook Swamp, such as for mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Insects play an important role in maintaining community structure and composition; in the case of animals by transmission of diseases, predation and parasitism, and in the case of plants, through consumption and by plant propagation through pollination and seed dispersal.
Unfortunately due to the vast numbers of insect species many remain unidentified both in the Tootgarook Swamp and in Australia in general.
Below is a selection of some of the indigenous inhabitants of the Tootgarook swamp, fauna that has been introduced (feral) can be found under threats.
Do you have a photo from the swamp of any of the species not listed or shown below, we would love to hear from you, please email info@savetootgarookswamp.org
Insects play one of the most important roles in their ecosystems, which includes many roles, such as soil turning and aeration, dung burial, pest control, pollination and wildlife nutrition. An example is the beetles, which are scavengers that feed on dead animals and fallen trees and thereby recycle biological materials into forms found useful by other organisms.These insects, and others, are responsible for much of the process by which topsoil is created.
Many types of insects play significant roles in the ecology of the Tootgarook Swamp, due to their vast diversity of form, function and life-style; their considerable biomass; and their interaction with plant life, other organisms and the environment. Since they are the major contributor to biodiversity in the majority of habitats, they accordingly play a variety of extremely important ecological roles in the many functions of an eco-system. Taking the case of nutrient recycling; insects contribute to this vital function by degrading or consuming leaf litter, wood, carrion and dung and by dispersal of fungi.
Insects form an important part of the complex food web of the Tootgarook Swamp, such as for mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Insects play an important role in maintaining community structure and composition; in the case of animals by transmission of diseases, predation and parasitism, and in the case of plants, through consumption and by plant propagation through pollination and seed dispersal.
Unfortunately due to the vast numbers of insect species many remain unidentified both in the Tootgarook Swamp and in Australia in general.
Below is a selection of some of the indigenous inhabitants of the Tootgarook swamp, fauna that has been introduced (feral) can be found under threats.
Do you have a photo from the swamp of any of the species not listed or shown below, we would love to hear from you, please email info@savetootgarookswamp.org
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Ants and Beetles
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Bees, Wasps, Flies and Sawflies
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Dragonflies and damselflies
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True Bugs, Cicadas, Crickets, Katydids, Leafhoppers, Grasshoppers and Soft Bugs
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Butterflies and Moths
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Cockroaches, Termites, Mites, and Earwigs
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Mantids, Stick and Leaf insects
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Scorpion-flies, Mayflies, Caddisflies, and Stoneflies
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Slaters and Pill Bugs
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Spiders, Scorpions and Psuedoscorpions
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Lacewings, Antlions and Owl Flies
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Centipedes and Millipedes
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Slugs, Snails and Worms
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