#3 Photo Challenge – Close Up – Primo Piano

Wood eaters-mangiatori di legno

It might look like a cave painting, but it’s not. They are labyrinths dug by insects. More precisely, from Xilophagous insects. The log is from my Beech tree.

Xilophage comes from Greek and means “wood eater.” Only some animals, primarily insects, can digest this material.

But it’s not just about feeding. In fact, by eating wood, many xylophagous insects also build their own shelter, in which they are born, grow and reproduce. A set of complex tunnels dug into the trunks of trees, which in some cases look like real labyrinths!

Xylophagous insects are defined as any living organism that feeds on wood.

Potrebbe sembrarvi una pittura rupestre ma non lo è. Sono labirinti scavati da insetti. Più precisamente, da insetti Xilofagi.

Il tronco è del mio faggio.

Xilofago deriva dal greco e significa “mangiatore di legno”. Solo alcuni animali, principalmente insetti, possono digerire questo materiale.

Ma non si tratta solo di nutrirsi. Molti insetti xilofagi infatti, nutrendosi del legno, costruiscono anche il proprio rifugio, nel quale nascono, crescono e si riproducono. Un insieme di complessi cunicoli scavati nei tronchi degli alberi, che in alcuni casi sembrano dei veri e propri labirinti!

Gli insetti xilofagi sono definiti come qualsiasi organismo vivente che si nutre di legno.

Author: eleanorannpeterson

As a child, I spent my summer holidays by the swamp catching tadpoles and other creepy critters or running after wild animals. I wanted to become a veterinarian when I grew up. But destiny turned my life around - I moved to Italy, where I obtained my BS in Environmental Sciences and Territorial Management. When not working in our family-run business, I write, read, play with clay, doodle, and go on scavenger hunts in the woods, followed by my six cats.

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