Which term describes an organism that feeds directly on producers?

• A. Secondary consumer
• B. Primary consumer
• C. Saprotroph
• D. Omnivore

Answer: (B)

In food webs, organisms are organized by trophic levels: producers form the base by making their own energy, and the next level consists of organisms that eat those producers directly. An organism that feeds on producers is a primary consumer, typically an herbivore, because it sits right above the producers in the chain and gets energy by consuming living plant material. This distinguishes it from secondary consumers, which eat primary consumers; saprotrophs, which break down dead matter; and omnivores, which eat both plants and animals but aren’t defined by feeding exclusively on producers. So the term that describes an organism feeding directly on producers is primary consumer.