Nomenclature of wood-inhabiting groups in forest entomology: synthesis and semantic adjustments

Nomenclature of wood-inhabiting groups in forest entomology: synthesis and semantic adjustments. The terminology of ecological groups in saproxylic insects (organisms depending on dying or dead wood) is used ambiguously by forest entomologists. We therefore propose a standardized typology of wood-eating groups, based on two crossed factors, i.e. nature and physiological status of woody tissues. We define primary and secondary xylophagous insects (corticiphagous, cambiophagous, xylemophagous), as well as saproxylophagous species. Insects indirectly related to dead wood are classified according to (i) the food regime: consumers of wood-associated resources (xylomycophagous, xylomycetophagous, opophagous), commensals (scavengers), predators, or (ii) the microhabitat users (fongicolous, cavicolous, succicolous). To cite this article: C Bouget et al., C R. Biologies 328 (2005). (c) 2005 Acadamie des sciences. Publie par Elsevier SAS. Tons droits reserves.