Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Invertebrates of the Bush Floor
Invertebrates are animals without a backbone – generally
insects of various types. Invertebrates are a key part of healthy
native ecosystems, but are often overlooked. Different types
of invertebrates have important roles in keeping your bush
remnant functioning:
• decomposers break down wood and leaves on the forest
fl oor to release nutrients back to plants – for example,
ground weta

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• pollinators – for example, fl ies, beetles, night-fl ying moths
and lizards
• herbivores feed on leaves, branches and twigs – for
example, stick insects and scale insects
• predators or parasites prey or feed on other invertebrates
– for example, native preying mantis
• prey – invertebrates are important sources of food for
native lizards and birds such as morepork, kingfi shers,
fantails and grey warblers.
To provide a healthy home for invertebrates,

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