Which of the following groups primarily feeds on decaying organic matter?

• A. Plaster Bagworm
• B. Crickets
• C. Pillbugs and sowbugs
• D. Rats

Answer: (C)

Detritivores break down dead and decaying organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil. Pillbugs and sowbugs fit this role best because they are crustacean isopods that live in damp leaf litter and mulch, feeding on decaying plant material, fungi, and other rotting debris. This habit centers on decomposing matter rather than live plant tissue or stored foods.

Plaster bagworms, by contrast, mainly feed on spider webs and occasionally fabrics, not decaying matter. Crickets eat a variety of plant material and sometimes insects, but they aren’t specialized detritivores. Rats are opportunistic omnivores with a broad diet, not focused on decaying organic matter. So the group that primarily feeds on decaying organic matter is pillbugs and sowbugs.