Food Webs最新文献

{"title":"Predation of Dione juno juno (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) by Erythemis vesiculosa (Odonata: Libellulidae) in a Caatinga–Atlantic Forest ecotone, with a review of butterfly predation by dragonflies","authors":"Caique Dantas ,&nbsp;Roberta da Silva Simas","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00425","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00425","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Predation events linking aquatic predators to terrestrial prey can shape energy flow in ecotonal landscapes but remain poorly documented. Here we report the first record of predation on the heliconiine butterfly <em>Dione juno juno</em> (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) by <em>Erythemis vesiculosa</em> (Fabricius, 1775) (Odonata: Libellulidae) in a Caatinga–Atlantic Forest ecotone in Bahia, Brazil. On 6 October 2024, at the campus of the State University of Feira de Santana (northeastern Brazil), we photo-documented an adult <em>Erythemis</em> (∼38 mm) perched on shrubby vegetation handling an adult <em>D. j. juno</em> (∼32 mm). The dragonfly grasped the butterfly with its forelegs and consumed the head and anterior thorax—prey-handling behavior typical for libellulids. The event occurred within an anthropized mosaic of shrub–herb vegetation and forest fragments. This observation expands current knowledge of the opportunistic diet of Erythemis, reinforces its role as a generalist predator of flying insects, and underscores the value of ecotones as natural laboratories to study insect predator–prey interactions. Given ongoing habitat fragmentation and climate change in these transition zones, opportunistic, photo-vouchered records such as this can complement systematic surveys and help quantify cross-habitat predation pressure on Lepidoptera. In addition, we provide a brief review of published cases of butterfly predation by dragonflies across different biogeographical contexts, which places our record into a broader comparative framework and highlights the underreporting of this phenomenon.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"45 ","pages":"Article e00425"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145236573","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Not all xenarthrans are eaten equally: In savannas, harpy eagles favor armadillos, and their prey show taphonomic signatures similar to those in Amazonia","authors":"Iury Lemos ,&nbsp;Juliano A.S.V. Paes ,&nbsp;João Pedro F. Machado ,&nbsp;Deborah Cardoso Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Pedro Henrique F. Peres ,&nbsp;Jeferson L. Sousa Freitas ,&nbsp;Thiago B.F. Semedo ,&nbsp;Everton B.P. Miranda ,&nbsp;Guilherme S.T. Garbino","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The harpy eagle (<em>Harpia harpyja</em>) is a top predator inhabiting lowland tropical forests from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. In eastern and southeastern Brazil, its populations are declining due to habitat loss and hunting. While the species' diet is well-documented in rainforests, in non-forested habitats it remains poorly understood. In this study, we analyze diet composition and taphonomic patterns of harpy eagle prey in an ecotone between the Cerrado and Amazonia ecoregions in central Brazil—an atypical habitat for the species. Using osteological material, camera trap data, and molecular analyses, we identified prey remains and assessed bone damage patterns. Our findings reveal that the harpy eagle's diet in this region differs from previous studies in tropical forests. We identified 42 individuals of seven prey species, with armadillos dominating the diet, contributing 88.2 % of the total biomass, being 74 % <em>Cabassous squamicaudis</em> and 11 % <em>Euphractus sexcinctus</em>. Additionally, molecular analyses confirmed predation on a brocket deer, an unusual record of harpy eagles preying on terrestrial ungulates. Taphonomic analysis revealed that most crania and synsacral elements showed minor damage or only a few missing bones, suggesting prey-specific processing behaviors. These findings provide new insights into the harpy eagle's dietary flexibility and behavioral adaptations in non-forest environments. Our study highlights the importance of habitat-specific diet research for conservation planning and species management, particularly in regions undergoing rapid habitat loss.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00420"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Soil mesofauna bacterial diversity: Insights from cultured collembolans, enchytraeids, and mites species","authors":"Bo-Wen Liu ,&nbsp;Jing Wen ,&nbsp;Shuai-Fei Ye ,&nbsp;Jia-Jia Gu ,&nbsp;Ming-Xin Li ,&nbsp;Xiao-Bo Xiong ,&nbsp;Zong-Zheng Liang ,&nbsp;Hong-Tao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00421","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00421","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soil fauna-associated microbial communities play crucial roles in nutrient cycling, host health, and ecosystem functioning. However, the differences and connections among microbiota of different soil fauna species under identical cultivation conditions remain poorly understood. Our study characterized bacterial communities of six soil fauna species (the collembolans <em>Folsomia candida</em>, <em>Isotomiella minor</em> and <em>Onychiurus yodai</em>; the enchytraeus <em>Enchytraeus crypticus</em>; the oribatid mite <em>Damaeus expinosus</em> and the predatory mite <em>Hypoaspis aculeifer</em>) after three years of standardized cultivation using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing. Results revealed distinct microbial community patterns across species. Proteobacteria dominated <em>F. candida</em> (78.4 % relative abundance), while Bacteroidetes were most abundant in <em>I. minor</em> (76.1 %), and Acidobacteria comprised 88.4 % of <em>O. yodai</em>'s microbiota. The predatory mite <em>H. aculeifer</em> harbored twice the microbial diversity of detritivorous species like <em>F. candida</em>, reflecting their trophic position as generalist feeders within soil food webs. Only 0.8 % of OTUs (125 out of 36,719) were shared across all species, with <em>H. aculeifer</em> harboring the most unique OTUs (3143). Co-occurrence network analysis showed predominantly positive microbial interactions, suggesting cooperative relationships within host-associated communities. Our study demonstrates that soil fauna harbor highly specialized microbiota shaped by host ecology and trophic level, even under uniform environmental conditions. These findings provide new insights into soil biodiversity and highlight the potential of fauna-associated microbes as bioindicators for ecosystem health assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00421"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145048818","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First microscopic evidence of invasive Ceratium furcoides ingestion by native Asplanchna sieboldii in a tropical reservoir, with a review of zooplankton predators of Ceratium","authors":"Rafael L. Macêdo ,&nbsp;Raphael F. Corrêa ,&nbsp;Christina W.C. Branco","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00419","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00419","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Biological invasions can impact food web interactions such as predator–prey dynamics, yet examples of native predators controlling non-native prey remain underexplored. Here, we investigate trophic relationships between <em>Ceratium furcoides</em> (Dinophyta) and plausible native zooplanktonic predators in a tropical reservoir. To our knowledge, this is the first visual documentation of <em>C. furcoides</em> ingestion by <em>Asplanchna sieboldii</em> in an invaded ecosystem. Our field data suggest opportunistic predation likely influenced by water level reductions and narrowing of the water column following an anomalous and well-documented drought period in southern Brazil. We recommend that future studies examine samples from other tropical and subtropical reservoirs to identify and report additional zooplankton associations with <em>Ceratium</em> and their specific environmental contexts, thereby supporting the development of potential biocontrol strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00419"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144907986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New ecological interaction: Herbivory of Japanese knotweed by White-tailed Deer","authors":"Lucas J. Kirby,&nbsp;Alexia M. Turner,&nbsp;Patrick Malinowski","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Japanese knotweed (<em>Reynoutria japonica Houtt</em>) is a successful invasive species for a multitude of reasons that include: anthropogenic cultivation, vegetative reproduction, allelopathy, and competitive exclusion, as well as enemy release from native herbivores. An adequate biological control agent has been sought to help control its dominance and spread, though the most recent control agents have failed to establish and control the plant in field studies. This paper represents hope that <em>R. japonica</em> can be controlled or have its dominance reduced on the landscape by a dominant North American herbivore, the white-tailed deer. Our study confirmed that a population of white-tailed deer in Central New Jersey are intentionally and significantly consuming <em>R. japonica</em> to a level that alters the growth of the plant. Our results support the findings of other studies in that <em>R. japonica</em> reduces species richness within the plant community and reduces the area covered by other plants. We did not find a relationship between the amount of plant damage (leaves lost) to canopy coverage of <em>R. japonica</em>, likely because the plants growth form still produces shade by becoming stout with more branching rather than tall and overhanging. The herbivory of <em>R. japonica</em> by this population of white-tailed deer likely stems from an unusually high population density of deer in this suburban area that drove them to seek alternative food resources. This study is another example of the ability of native herbivores to eventually form new relationships with invasive plants, and it provides hope for the biological control of <em>R. japonica</em> by native species in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00417"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144890313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predation of the slender opossum Marmosops caucae (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae) on the venomous spider Phoneutria fera (Araneae: Ctenidae) in Amazonian Ecuador, with a dietary overview for the genus Marmosops","authors":"Ariel Guerrero-Campoverde ,&nbsp;Elias Viteri-Basso ,&nbsp;Pedro Peñaherrera-R. ,&nbsp;Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Small marsupials of the genus <em>Marmosops</em> are widely regarded as omnivore-insectivores, but quantitative information on their diets is fragmentary. Here, we report the first verified predation event of the highly venomous wandering spider <em>Phoneutria fera</em> by <em>Marmosops caucae</em> during a nocturnal survey in Amazonian Ecuador, and provide the most comprehensive synthesis to date of prey use within the genus, based on a literature review and participatory science observations. The synthesis yielded nine primary studies and three iNaturalist records offering diet data for six <em>Marmosops</em> species. Collectively, these records encompass 15 invertebrate orders and five vertebrate classes; Coleoptera and Hymenoptera dominate, whereas large arachnids occur only sporadically. The breadth and composition of prey spectra are best explained by local availability rather than dietary specialisation, underscoring the genus's behavioural flexibility. Our observation expands the known trophic interactions of <em>Marmosops</em> and highlights the need for experimental work on venom tolerance and potential ecological effects on spider guilds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00418"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144865300","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First record of nectar feeding by the exotic lizard Lepidodactylus lugubris (Duméril & Bibron, 1836) in urban environments in Brazil with notes on unusual feeding behaviors","authors":"Giovanni Sampaio Palheta ,&nbsp;Sílvia Regina Carneiro de Pinho ,&nbsp;Annelise Batista D'Angiolella","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00415","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interactions between reptiles and plants are less studied than those involving other vertebrate groups, especially in urban environments, which may limit our understanding of the ecological roles of reptiles such as lizards. In this study, we report for the first time a nectarivorous interaction between <em>Lepidodactylus lugubris</em>, a parthenogenetic lizard of the family Gekkonidae, and a plant species in an urban environment in Brazil. We also summarize the existing literature on visually documented nectarivorous behavior for this species in urban environments. The animal was observed feeding on flower nectar during the day in a building. This behavior demonstrates the species' dietary plasticity and highlights that important ecological interactions can occur even in urban environments. In a broad sense, the relationship between lizards and plants has been underestimated, but recent studies indicate that some species may act as occasional pollinators, contributing to the maintenance of local flora. The presence of this gecko in urban areas also underscores the need to better understand the ecological functions performed by reptiles and their resilience in modified habitats. New records and studies on this interaction may help elucidate the ecology of <em>L. lugubris</em> and its potential role in pollination.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00415"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144772542","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Defying the superorganism: Harvestmen escape ant predation","authors":"Osvaldo Villarreal ,&nbsp;Noelia Sierra-Perdomo ,&nbsp;Luis Fernando García","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Predation is a key ecological interaction shaping community dynamics, yet the role of Opiliones in such interactions, particularly with predatory ants, remains poorly understood. In this study, we report laboratory and field encounters between Neotropical Opiliones from two suborders—Eupnoi (2 species, 1 family) and Laniatores (6 species, 5 families)—and predatory ants from the genera <em>Camponotus</em>, <em>Eciton</em>, <em>Labidus</em>, and <em>Solenopsis</em>. Contrary to expectations, Opiliones consistently evaded predation, both in natural settings across regions including the Colombian Andes, the Venezuelan Amazon, and in Uruguay under controlled laboratory conditions. We propose several hypotheses to explain this evasion: the hardness of the Opiliones' chitinous exoskeleton, immobility and chemical defenses, the latter being widely documented within the group. Contrary to expected, chemical defenses were apparently less frequently used than the other defensive strategies. These findings represent novel records of predator-prey interactions between Opiliones and ants in nature, providing a foundation for future research on defensive strategies in harvestmen and their interactions with potential predators.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00414"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780056","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predation of Carollia perspicillata (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) by South American Pepper Frog (Leptodactylus labyrinthicus): unraveling the predator-prey relationship in caves","authors":"Helbert Sansão ,&nbsp;Werther Pereira Ramalho ,&nbsp;Silvana R. Sousa-Barbosa ,&nbsp;Alessandro R. Morais","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reporting predator-prey interactions is useful for understanding the hunting and defense strategies of the species involved, contributing to reducing knowledge gaps in trophic ecology, behavioral ecology, and natural history. Despite the dietary diversity of anurans, documented cases of anurans preying on bats are rare in the literature, particularly in specific environments such as caves. We present observations on the use of cave habitat and foraging behavior of <em>Leptodactylus labyrinthicus</em>, being the first record of bat predation by this frog in natural conditions. A male <em>L</em>. <em>labyrinthicus</em> was observed making successive leaps until it captured an individual of <em>Carollia perspicillata</em> inside the cave. This is the first recorded instance of a species of <em>Leptodactylus</em> actively preying on bats in full flight. We suggest that in caves with low ceilings, where bats fly close to the ground, species like <em>L</em>. <em>labyrinthicus</em> may benefit from the increased ease of capturing prey. The knowledge of the natural history of these species, especially in terms of behavior and predator-prey relationships, should be further explored, and future studies on niche issues should be approached with a greater level of complexity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00413"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trophic ecology of Caribbean polychaetes: responses to environmental changes driven by massive Sargassum arrivals","authors":"Isabella Pérez-Posada ,&nbsp;Nancy Cabanillas-Terán ,&nbsp;Luis F. Carrera-Parra ,&nbsp;Diego J. Lizcano ,&nbsp;Alberto Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fooweb.2025.e00411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Sargassum</em> decomposition promotes ecosystem eutrophication and triggers trophic shifts in benthic organisms, including polychaetes. In this study we evaluated the trophic dynamics of polychaetes <em>Eurythoe complanata</em>, <em>Lysidice caribensis</em>, and <em>Nicidion cariboea</em> in response to the massive arrivals of pelagic <em>Sargassum</em> using stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N). The study was conducted across nine sites in the southern Mexican Caribbean during onset and ending periods of massive <em>Sargassum</em> arrivals in 2021. Results revealed significant variations in δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values among sites in onset and ending periods, indicating shifts in carbon and nitrogen sources and possible changes in feeding behavior. <em>Lysidice caribensis</em> exhibited the highest trophic plasticity, with trophic position (TP) values ranging from 1.6 to 3, adapting to different trophic guilds depending on resource availability and site characteristics. In contrast, <em>E. complanata</em>, traditionally considered a higher consumer, exhibited a consistently low trophic position (1.3-2.6), suggesting a dietary shift towards algae and detritus under <em>Sargassum</em>-influenced conditions. <em>Nicidion cariboea</em> also displayed lower trophic position and narrower isotopic niches, particularly in sites impacted by <em>Sargassum</em> leachates (1.8 to 3). Standard ellipse area ranged from 0.07 to 5.91 across species, sites and periods, with <em>L. caribensis</em> showing the broadest values in sites with <em>Sargassum</em> influence during ending period. Periodical fluctuations also influenced niche overlap, with greater overlap observed during the ending period, suggesting increased interspecific competition under resource-limited conditions. These findings highlight the adaptive strategies of polychaetes to environmental disturbances and their potential role in a changing reef environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":38084,"journal":{"name":"Food Webs","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article e00411"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144738097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}