Depredación sobre Trachycephalus typhonius (Linnaeus) (Anura: Hylidae) por una mantis (Mantodea: Mantidae) en México

Baltazar, Erick Hernández; López-Hernández, Jorge Alberto; Santizo-Nanduca, Andrea; Pozo-Montuy, Gilberto; Gómez, Benigno

doi:10.35249/rche.46.4.20.04

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Several mantid species have developed unique strategies which have allowed them to adapt to a specific ecological niche, e.g., impaling prey (Rivera & Callohuari, 2020 ), others are highly adaptable generalist predators (Bosse et al, 2022 ; Fukudome & Yamawaki, 2016 ). Compared with most other arthropods, mantids are large in size allowing for the capture of small vertebrates including amphibians, rodents, reptiles, fishes and birds (Battiston et al, 2018 ; Costa‐Pereira et al, 2010 ; Hernandez‐Baltazar et al, 2020 ; Jehle et al, 1996 ; Valdez, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Opportunistic depredation of songbird nestlings by female praying mantids (Mantodea: Mantidae)

Kolnegari¹,

Fasano

Zareie³

et al. 2022

Ecology and Evolution

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Praying mantids (class Insecta, order Mantodea) are a group of predatory insects comprising approximately 2500 described species, that occur across all continents except Antarctica, with the greatest species diversity in tropical and subtropical regions. Mantids predominantly prey on other invertebrates but are known to feed on small vertebrates. During April and May 2021, we observed mantid feeding events in Manujan County, Kerman Province in southern Iran. Two distinct feeding events were observed where female European Mantids ( Mantis religiosa ) preyed on Purple Sunbird ( Cinnyris asiaticus ) and Crested Lark ( Galerida cristata ) nestlings. In addition, we collated information from online searches of mantids feeding on nestlings elsewhere in the world, revealing two more observations. In Taiwan, a Giant Asian Mantid ( Hierodula patellifera ) was recorded preying on a nestling Warbling White‐eye ( Zosterops japonicus ) and in Brazil, a mantid ( Stagmatoptera sp.) was recorded feeding on a nestling White‐throated Seedeater ( Sporophila albogularis ). To date, the only existing scientific evidence of praying mantids feeding on passerine nestlings was recorded in 1922. We propose two potential explanations for the observed trophic interactions between mantids and passerine nestlings: (1) during egg production female mantids, especially those in poor physical condition, may opportunistically feed on nestlings in order to increase fecundity via nutrient gain and (2) mantids may initially be attracted toward the nest by parasitic or coprophagous insects, as a result of poor nest sanitation, and subsequently prey on nestlings after detecting movements. Our unusual observations represent the first records of praying mantids feeding on nestling passerines in nearly 100 years.

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