Xylophagy

Xylophagy is the feeding of organisms on wood. The term derives from Greek xylon "wood" and phagein "to eat." Xylophagous organisms obtain energy from cellulose-rich wood and often rely on specialized digestion or microbial symbionts to break down cellulose and other polymers. The habit is most common among invertebrates, particularly termites and wood-boring beetles, and also occurs in marine wood-boring bivalves known as shipworms.

Termites (order Blattodea, formerly Isoptera) digest cellulose with gut symbionts, including protozoa and bacteria, enabling them to extract nutrients from tough plant material. Wood-boring beetle larvae, such as Anobiidae and Cerambycidae, tunnel through xylem and sapwood, aided by microbial or enzymatic processes that free cellulose and other polysaccharides for digestion. Shipworms bore into submerged timber and feed on wood internally; they rely on symbiotic bacteria in their gills to degrade cellulose.

Ecologically and economically, xylophagy contributes to the decomposition of dead wood and the recycling of nutrients, but it can also cause extensive damage to living trees, lumber, wooden structures, and ships. Management strategies include wood treatments, physical barriers, and integrated pest management to limit infestation.

Xylophagy is distinct from lignivory, which emphasizes feeding on lignin-rich components; in practice, xylophagous diets target cellulose and hemicellulose most, with lignin degradation often aided by microbial partners.