Predation of the frog Physalaemus biligonigerus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) by a giant water bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) in the Brazilian Pantanal

Alvaro Aragão; João E. Almeida-Junior; Diego J. Santana; Juan F. C. Carrillo

Predation of the frog Physalaemus biligonigerus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) by a giant water bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) in the Brazilian Pantanal

Autores/as

Alvaro Aragão
João E. Almeida-Junior
Diego J. Santana
Juan F. C. Carrillo

Palabras clave:

Amphibians, Predator-Prey, Natural History

Resumen

Amphibians play a fundamental role in aquatic and terrestrial food chains. They are frequently preyed upon by vertebrates and, less commonly, by invertebrates. Among invertebrate predators, aquatic insects of the family Belostomatidae stand out for their predatory efficiency and wide geographic distribution. Here we report a predation event of an adult male Physalaemus biligonigerus by an aquatic insect of the genus Lethocerus, observed in a temporary pond during an explosive breeding event in the municipality of Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This kind of records, still poorly documented for anurans in the Pantanal, reinforces the importance of belostomatids as predators influencing the dynamics of anuran populations in temporary aquatic environments.

Citas

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