# Insects Support Animal Life Beyond Food

> Insects provide critical habitat, protection, and health benefits for animals beyond being food.
- Title: Insects Support Animal Life Beyond Food · The Conversation
- Summary: Insects provide critical habitat, protection, and health benefits for animals beyond being food.
- Keywords: insects, pollination, ecosystem services, conservation biology, insect decline, vertebrates, sloths, songbirds, bats, gazelles, bilbies, mosquitoes
- Source: The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/the-hidden-ways-insects-support-animal-life-from-habitat-to-health-go-way-beyond-being-food-294617
- Author: Chris Elphick
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: insects, pollination, ecosystem services, conservation biology, insect decline, vertebrates, sloths, songbirds, bats, gazelles, bilbies, mosquitoes
## Insects Create Habitat
Insects engineer habitats for other species through termite and ant structures.
## Insects Provide Defense
Vertebrates use insects for protection against predators through toxins and mimicry.
## Insects Clean Ecosystems
Insects decompose waste and control disease by reducing parasite transmission.
## Insects Support Food Chains
Insects pollinate fig trees and provide food for over 1,200 vertebrate species.
## Insects Impact Ecosystems
Invasive ants disrupt native species, leading to changes in elephant and lion behavior.
## Sloths and Moths
Sloths host moths that provide nutrients for algae, aiding camouflage and survival.
## Insect Conservation
Declines in insects threaten biodiversity and ecosystem stability for vertebrates.
## Key takeaway

Insects support animal life through habitat creation, defense mechanisms, and ecosystem services.