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Arthropods vary in size from microscopic to several inches. They include insects such as springtails, beetles, ants, spiders, mites, myriapods, centipedes, millipedes, and scorpions.
Arthropods may be grouped as follows:
Shredders: Chew up dead plant material as they eat bacteria and fungi. The most abundant of this group are millipedes, sow bugs, termites, and roaches. In agricultural soils, shredders may become pests by chewing on roots if there is not enough dead plant material present.
Predators: Feed on other organisms. They may be generalists and eat many different prey types, or may be specialists and prefer a single prey type. Centipedes, spiders, scorpions,
Herbivores: These arthropods consume fungi and some bacteria. A large fraction of all plant available nutrients are a result of this group. Nutrients taken up by the fungi are immobilized in their bodies. It is only when a predator consumes (immobilizes) the fungi, and excretes (mineralizes) the remains, do the nutrients in and on the fungi become available to the plant, as well as other members of the SFW. Some herbaceous arthropods feed the roots and other parts of plants. They can become major crop pests if their populations are not controlled by other predatory species in the SFW.
Arthropods: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthropods
Centipedes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centipede
Millipedes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millipede
Sow Bugs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sow_bug
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