insectivorous

American  

[in-sek-tiv-er-uhs] / ˌɪn sɛkˈtɪv ər əs /

adjective

1. feeding on insects, especially when they constitute the entire diet, as in the case of many arachnids, birds, and small mammals.

2. Botany. having specialized leaves or leaf parts capable of trapping and digesting insects, as the Venus flytrap, the pitcher plants, and the sundews.

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insectivorous British  

/ ˌɪnsɛkˈtɪvərəs /

adjective

1. feeding on or adapted for feeding on insects

   insectivorous plants

2. of or relating to the order Insectivora

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Usage

See entomophagy.

Other Word Forms

• insectivory
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of insectivorous

First recorded in 1655–65; from New Latin insectivorus, equivalent to insect ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -vorous ( def. )

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

insectivorous

“Given that the majority of terrestrial birds rely on insects as a primary food source for reproduction and survival, the persistence of insectivorous bird populations is inextricably linked to insect conservation.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

A naked mole rat is seen in a display enclosure of a new building for small mammals, birds, carnivorous plants and insectivorous animals at the zoological-botanical garden in Stuttgart.

From Salon ● May 11, 2025

"We think bats probably evolved from a small, tree-dwelling, insectivorous mammal," Jones said.

From Reuters ● Apr. 13, 2023

The main thing is the species that we’re getting: the regular nets are missing a lot of the insectivorous bats that we normally see very rarely.

From Scientific American ● Apr. 21, 2022

Although almost as exclusively insectivorous as bats, moles and shrews do not, so far as is known, hibernate.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 4 "Hero" to "Hindu Chronology" by Various

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