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Mealworms are Nature's scavengers and decomposers, able to survive up to eight months without food or water, and happy to eat their own kind when food is scarce.

But they and other invertebrates are the spineless backbones of ecosystems, playing critical roles as pollinators, predators, prey and decomposers.

The study also shows that these "universal decomposers" are largely unique to decomposition environments and are not commonly found in other soil or host-associated microbial communities.

They’re not the only fungus that changes from harmless decomposer to predator.

Payment comes either in the form of carbon from the host while it is living, or when their friendly host dies, and the patient decomposer gets to work.