Insect ecology is the interaction of insects, individually or as a community, with the surrounding environment or ecosystem. This interaction is mostly mediated by the secretion and detection of chemicals (semiochemical) in the environment by insects. Semiochemicals are secreted by the organisms (including insects) in the environment and they are detected by other organism such as insects. Semiochemicals used by organisms, including (insects) to interact with other organism either of the same species or different species can generally grouped into four. These are pheromone, synomones, allomone and kairomone. Pheromones are semiochemicals that facilitates interaction between organisms of same species. Synomones benefit both the producer and receiver, allomone is advantageous to only the producer whiles kairomones is beneficial to the receiver. Insect interact with other species within their community and these interaction include mutualism, commensalism, ammensalism, parasitism and neutralisms. Insects play significant roles in the ecology of the world due to their vast diversity of form, function, and lifestyle. They are the major contributor to biodiversity in most habitats, except in the sea, they play a variety of important ecological roles in the many functions of an ecosystem. In 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 food chain, especially for entomophagous vertebrates such as many mammals, birds, amphibians, and reptiles. Insects play a critical role in maintaining community structure and composition; in the case of animals through diseases transmission, predation and parasitism, and in plants through phytophagy and plant propagation through pollination and seed dispersal. From an anthropocentric point of view, insects compete with humans; they consume as much as 10% of the food produced by man and infect one in six humans with a pathogen.
Community ecology Community ecology is the process by which a group of organisms which live in the same location interact. There are indirect interactions, such as reproduction, foraging patterns, and decaying. There are also direct interactions, which take the form of symbiosis, competition, and predation, which are the most easily notable . Every organism at its most basic state could be a consumer in some situations, and a producer in others. The culmination of all these interactions is what defines a community and what differentiates one from another. Insects often play numerous roles in these communities, although these roles vary widely based on what species is present. Insects recognize their host (source of food) by means of their visual, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile cues.
Decomposers
Decomposer insects are those that feed on dead or rotten bodies of plants or animals. These insects are called saprophages and fall into three main categories: those that feed on dead or dying plant matter, those that feed on dead animals (carrion), and those that feed on excrement (feces) of other animals. As dead plants are eaten away, more surface area is exposed, allowing the plants to decay faster due to an increase in microorganisms that eat the plant. These insects are largely responsible for helping to create a layer of humus on the soil that provides an ideal environment for various fungi and microorganisms . These organisms produce much of the nitrogen, carbon, and minerals that plants require for their growth. Carrion feeders include several beetles, ants, mites, wasps, fly larvae (maggots), and others. These insects occupy the dead body for a short time but rapidly consume and/or bury the carcass. Typically, some species of fly are the first to feed on the dead body, but the order of insects that follow is predictable and is known as the faunal succession. Many dung beetles and dung flies are attracted to the smell of animal feces. The adults often lay egg on fresh excrement and the larvae will feed on the organic matter. Many species of dung-feeders have evolved and only feed on feces from a specific species. There is even a species of dung-beetle that will roll feces into a ball, push it into a pre-dug hole, lays egg in the dung, and then covers it with fresh dirt to provide a perfect nursery for its larvae.
Carnivores Carnivorous insects survive by eating other living animals, be it through hunting, blood sucking, or as an internal parasite. These insects fall into three basic categories: predators, parasites, and parasitoids.
Predatory insects are typically larger as their survival is dependent upon their ability to hunt, kill or immobilize, and eat their prey. However, there are several exceptions, with ants being the most notable. Ants, and other colony insects, can use their sheer numbers to overwhelm their prey even if the ants are significantly smaller. They often have specialized mandibles (mouthparts) for this task, some causing excruciating pain, paralysis, or simply having a high bite force. Conversely, insects that live on their own must be able to reliably bring down their prey and as such have developed a myriad of unique hunting methods. Some actively travel, in search of prey, while others wait in ambush. Others may release chemicals to attract certain creatures, and others will eat anything they can.
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