The phrase "apex predator" refers to the top or strongest predator in a food chain or ecosystem. It is the animal that hunts and feeds on others, but is not preyed upon itself. Full definition
Dragonflies spend their larval phase in water, after which they control the air space as the flying apex predators of invertebrates. (sciencedaily.com)
As the wolf population plummeted via the rifle and the trap, however, the eastern coyote inherited the status of apex predator in those habitats. (sciencedaily.com)
If a fenced area is large — South Africa's mostly fenced Kruger National Park is nearly the size of New Jersey — then the lions still can perform their roles as apex predators and regulate the ecosystem by controlling populations of antelope, buffalo and other ungulates, which in turn help to maintain plant communities. (scientificamerican.com)