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Recent Examples of insectivore
Moreover, in every case, the ancestors were either insectivores or carnivores, with insect-eaters making the shift about three times more often than carnivores.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2025
Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
The lemurs and tenrecs of Madagascar, for example, are descended from primates and insectivores that used to be much more widespread.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
This tiny insectivore has an exceptionally fast metabolism, demanding near-constant feeding to survive.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2025
Among the species declines that have led to billions fewer birds in North America over the last half-century, grassland birds and aerial insectivores have been hit especially hard, having lost many bugs that once fed them.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Rupendra Brahambhatt, ArsTechnica, 20 Aug. 2025
Belonging to the same group of mammals as sloths and anteaters, armadillos are voracious insectivores that eat large numbers of beetles, grubs, ants, termites, and other insects, grabbing them with their sticky tongues.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 18 July 2025
The lemurs and tenrecs of Madagascar, for example, are descended from primates and insectivores that used to be much more widespread.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
This tiny insectivore has an exceptionally fast metabolism, demanding near-constant feeding to survive.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2025
Among the species declines that have led to billions fewer birds in North America over the last half-century, grassland birds and aerial insectivores have been hit especially hard, having lost many bugs that once fed them.
—Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 22 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insectivore
Noun
-
Guides such as Eggleston place observers on sandbars at least 150 feet from the charismatic carnivores.—
Susan Portnoy,
AFAR Media,
3 Oct. 2025
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The leg bone, which belonged to an ancient ancestor of crocodiles, shows that the dinosaur was a carnivore and may offer clues into the food chain of ancient Patagonia.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The animals are difficult to survey, but experts estimate that the United States is now home to at least six million feral hogs, descendants of those early farm animals and Eurasian wild boars that arrived later.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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And fighting ants, bees, and other animals that raid bird feeders becomes a losing battle.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Card-carrying herbivores, seed-eaters, and omnivores switched to a cicada-heavy diet during a brood emergence in Washington, D.C., in 2021, according to Martha Weiss, a professor of biology at George Washington University.—
Sarah Henry,
The Courier-Journal,
8 July 2025
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But slugs can be beneficial omnivores that feed on algae, fungi, decomposing organic matter and plants.—
Tom MacCubbin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
Every night after dusk, one of the world’s largest migrations begins, as deep sea creatures rise to the surface to feed.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Many of those featured in the series are cryptids, creatures whose existence is disputed and often possess preternatural — meaning extraordinary — abilities, such as the Himalayan yeti or Australia’s amphibious bunyip.—
Jose R. Gonzalez,
AZCentral.com,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The whole place is powered by the magic tears of Muggle-Wumps, apelike creatures whom the Twits keep in captivity and force to stand on their heads for hours on end (there are other fun critters too, such as Alan Tudyk’s backward-talking Sweet-Toed Toad).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
14 Oct. 2025
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Halloween is all about spooky vibes, and these eight bugs and critters found in Arizona bring the creep.—
Lorenzino Estrada,
AZCentral.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The wee beastie ends the season in Arthur’s body, ready to continue its freaky little business.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
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Most of the remaining beasties now live on remote islands near the equator, and most humans would conveniently like to forget them.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Money speaks, the land listens, where the Anarchist skulked, where the horsethief plied his trade, we fishers of Americans will cast our nets of perfect ten-acre mesh, leveled and varmint-proofed, ready to build on.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
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Another disadvantage: Adding banana peels directly to the soil may attract unwelcome varmints.—
Marin Independent Journal,
The Mercury News,
14 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Years later, Set could still hear the haunting nighttime sounds of monstrous vermin tiptoeing through the house.—
Jeff Pearlman,
Rolling Stone,
17 Oct. 2025
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This could include, but is not limited to, major vermin contamination.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insectivore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insectivore. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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