Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 403-404 (2017) (published online on 22 July 2017)

Predation on Hypsiboas bischoffi (Anura: Hylidae) by

Phoneutria nigriventer (Araneae: Ctenidae) in southern Brazil

Nathalie Edina Foerster*, Bruno Henrique Grolli Carvalho and Carlos Eduardo Conte1, 2

Amphibians are attributed a considerable ecological possible to locate the frog while it was being predated
value regarding their trophic level in the food chain since by Phoneutria nigriventer (Figure 1). After the call, the
they are both prey and predators (Toft, 1980; Duellman frog was found completely paralyzed by the venom
and Trueb, 1994; Stewart and Woolbright, 1996; Feio of P. nigriventer. The spider, standing on the branch
et al., 1998), and can effectively control populations of a herbaceous plant, held the frog by insertingits
of invertebrates such as mosquitoes (+agman andFhelicerae into the frogs dorsal region. This spider
Shine, 2005). As ectotherms, they are highly efficient belongs to the Ctenidae family, known for preying
at converting energy from food into their own tissues.
Therefore, they have an important role in the energy
flow of the ecosystem as prey for invertebrates (Toledo,
2003; Toledo, 2005; Moura and Azevedo, 2011), birds
(Toledo et al., 2005; Toledo et al., 2007; Andrade et al.,
2013) and mammals (Santos, 2009; Shalk and Morales,
2012). Among invertebrates, spiders are an important
group that prey upon amphibians (Menin et al., 2005;
Toledo et al., 2007; Pombal Jr., 2007). Herein, we report
Phoneutria nigriventer predating upon an individual of
Hypsiboas bischoffi. The predation was observed on the
24 February 2013, during a field study in the National
Forest of Pira do Sul (2434S; 4955W). This National
Park is located in the municipality of Pira do Sul, State
of Paran, in the south of Brazil and comprises an area
of around 150 ha, consisting mainly of Araucaria forest
(Moro et al., 2009). The encounter was observed around
21:00h during a survey of breeding sites (Scoot and
Woodward, 1994). The site was an old artificial tank,
which now harbours a swamp. An agonistic call was
emitted by the H. bischoffi, being a defensive strategy
that has been reported many times before (Sazima,
1975; Hdl and Gollmann, 1986; Azevedo-Ramos,
1995; Williams et al., 2000). The agonistic call made it

1
Instituto Neotropical: Pesquisa e Conservao. C.P. 19009,
CEP 81531-980 Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
2
Criadouro Ona Pintada, 1381, CEP 80520-070, Curitiba, PR, Figure 1. Phoneutria nigriventer predating on Hypsiboas
Brazil bischoffi in Araucaria Forest area in the State of Paran, South
* Corresponding autor e-mail: nathalie.foerster@gmail.com of Brazil
404
on different species of anurans (Santana et al., 2009).
The members of the Ctenidae family are nocturnal and
wait for the prey to be close enough for capture (Rego
et al., 2005). The hylid Hypsiboas bischoffi is a small,
generalist species, widely distributed in the Atlantic
Rainforests in southern Brazil (Frost, 2017). At the
moment of observation, several males of H. bischoffi
were vocalizing. These anurans have a small body size,
gregarious behaviour and are present in abundance at
breeding sites during the breeding season, which makes
them an easy prey to different groups of vertebrates and
invertebrates (Duellman and Trueb, 1994; Toledo et al.,
2007). Hence, this report contributes to the knowledge
of the P. nigriventer diet while denoting the role of frogs
in the food chain.
References
Andrade, E.B., Melo, S.C.A., Cunha, J.A.S. (2013): Predation
on Leptodactylus macrosternum (Anura: Leptodactylidae) by
Botaurus pinnatus (Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae) in Northeastern
Brazil. Herpetology Notes, 6: 201202.
Azevedo-Ramos, C. (1995): Defensive behaviors of the Neotropical
treefrog Hyla geographica (Anura, Hylidae). Revista Brasileira
de Biologia 55: 4547.
Duellman, W.E., Trueb, L. (1994): Biology of Amphibians.
Baltimore, The john Hopkinsuniversity Press.
Feio, R.N., Braga, U.M.L., Wiederhecker, H., Santos, P.S. (1998):
Anfbios do Parque Estadual do Rio Doce (Minas Gerais).
Universidade Federal de Viosa, Instituto Estadual de Florestas.
Frost, D.R. 2017. $mphibian Species of the World: an Online
Reference. Version 6.0. Available at: http://research.amnh.org/
herpetology/amphibia/index.html. Last accessed on 22 June
2017.
Hdl, W., Gollmann, G. (1986): Distress calls in Neotropical frogs.
Amphibia-Reptilia, 7: 1121.
Menin, M., Rodrigues, D.J. & Azevedo, C.S. (2005): Predation on
amphibians by spiders (Arachnida, Aranae) in the Neotropical
region. Phyllomedusa, 4: 3947.
Hagman, M., Shine, R. (2005): Effects of invasive cane toads on
Australian mosquitoes: Does the dark cloud have a silver lining?
Biological Invasions, 9: 445452.
Moro, R.S., Kaczmarech, R., Pereira, T.K., Chaves, C.C., Milan, E.,
Gels, M.; Moro,R.F., Mioduski, J. (2009): Perfil fitossociolgico
da vegetao da Floresta Nacional de Pira do Sul, PR. Relatrio
tcnico, Ponta Grossa, ICMBio/UEPG.
Moura, M.R., Azevedo, L.P. (2011): Observation of predation of
the giant fishing spider Ancylometes rufus (Walckenaer, 1837)
(Araneae, Ctenidae) on Dendropsophus melanargyreus Cope,1
877 (Anura, Hylidae). %iota Neotropica, 11: 348351.
Nathalie Edina Foerster et al.
Pombal-JR, J.P. (2007): Notas sobre predao em uma taxocenose
de anfbios anuros no sudeste do Brasil. Revista Brasileira de
Zoologia, 24: 841843.
Rego, F.N.A.A., Venticinque, E.M., Brescovit, A.D. (2005):
Densidades de aranhas errantes (Ctenidae e Sparassidae,
Araneae) em uma floresta fragmentada. Biota Neotropica.
Available at: http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v5n1a/pt/abstra
ct?article+BN002051a2005. Last acessed on 9 November 2016
Santana, D.J., Silva, E.T., Oliveira, E.F. (2009): Predao de
Dendropsophus elegans (Anura, Hylidae) por Phoneutria
nigriventer (Araneae, Ctenidae) em Viosa, Minas Gerais,
Brasil. Boletim do Museu de Biologia Mello Leito, 26: 17.
Santos, E.M. (2009): Notas sobre predao de anuros em uma poa
temporria no nordeste do Brasil. Boletim do Museu de Biologia
Mello Leito, 25: 7782.
Sazima, I. (1975): Distress call in newly metamorphosed smith
frog, Hyla faber Wied. Herpetologica, 31: 471472
Schalk, C.M., Morales, F. (2012): Predation of a Rhinella major
(Anura: Bufonidae) by a Pampas Fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus)
in the Bolivian Gran Chaco. Herpetology Notes, 5: 369370.
Scott JR., N.J., Woodward, B.D. (1994): Surveys at breeding. In:
Measuring andMonitoring Biological Diversity Standard
Methods for Amphibian, p.118125.Heyer,W.R., Donnelly,
M.A., McDiarmid, R.W., Hayek, L.C., Foster, M.S., Eds.
Washinton, Smithsonian Institution Press.
Stewart, M.M., Woolbright, L.L. (1996): Amphibians. In: The food
web of a tropical rainforest, p. 363-398. Reagan, D.P., Waide,
R.B., Eds. Chicago, University of Chicago Press.
Toft, C.A. (1980): Feeding ecology of thirteen syntopic species
of anurans in a seasonal tropical environment. Oecologia, 45:
131141.
Toledo, L.F. (2003): Predation on seven South American anuran
species by water bugs (Belostomatidae). Phyllomedusa, 2:
105108.
Toledo, L.F. (2005): Predation of juvenile and adult anurans
by invertebrates: currentknowledge and perspectives.
Herpetological Review, 36: 395400.
Toledo, L.F., Woehl Jr., G., Woehl, E.N., Prado, C.P.A. (2005):
Scinax nasicus, Hyla albomarginata, Hyla bischoffi, and
Phyllomedusa distincta (Tree Frogs): Avian predation.
Herpetological Bulletin 92: 3132.
Toledo, L.F., Ribeiro, R.S. & Haddad, C.F.B. (2007): Anurans as
prey: an exploratory analysis and the size relationships between
predators and their preys. Journal of Zoology, 271: 170177.
Williams, C.R., Brodie, E.D., Tyler, M.J., Walker, S.J. (2000):
Antipredator mechanisms of Australian frogs. Journal of
Herpetology 34: 431443.
Accepted by Madhava Meegaskumbura