1. the practice of eating only one type of food or feeding on a single species
Usage: biology; ecology

Examples

• The koala’s monophagy limits it to feeding exclusively on eucalyptus leaves.
• Many butterfly caterpillars exhibit monophagy, feeding on only one plant species.
• Monophagy can make species vulnerable to environmental changes affecting their food source.
• The panda’s monophagy for bamboo requires large territories to meet nutritional needs.
• Scientists study monophagy to understand evolutionary relationships between predators and prey.
• Extreme monophagy in insects often leads to coevolution with their host plants.