Notes on the predation of an assassin bug by a spider in a Neotropical cave

By

Bernardi, Leopoldo.
Sperandei, Vinícius
Audino, Lívia Dorneles.
Sena, Carlos
Alves, Jéssica

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2020

Original Publication

Subterranean Biology

Volume

33

Pages

17--22

Subjects

Brazil , Enoploctenus , intraguild , Invertebrates , Zelurus

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/subtbiol.33.48292

 

Abstract

Intraguild predation have rarely been documented in scientific literature, even though this type of interaction can affect population dynamics and competition. In this study we present an intraguild predation event that occurred at different times, but in the same cave, where we observed spiders of the speciesEnoploctenus cyclotoraxpreying on specimens of assassin bugZelurus diasi. Inside the studied caves, food resources are scarce and populations can be fairly small in size. It is possible, therefore, that these events are the result of ecological pressures imposed by the hypogean environment.