Found in closed canopy woodland and scrub, where it is separated vertically rather than horizontally from arboreal assemblage types. It is associated with low levels of disturbance.
Plant cover at ground level is restricted by relatively low light levels and accumulations of leaf litter. Many characteristic species occur in or under leaf litter and are either saprophagous or predaceous. A smaller number of species are phytophagous and develop on shade-loving plants.