When the predator becomes the prey: new records of intraguild predation among Central American and Caribbean arachnids (Arachnida: Amblypygi, Araneae, Scorpiones)

 

When the predator becomes the prey: new records of intraguild predation among Central American and Caribbean arachnids (Arachnida: Amblypygi, Araneae, Scorpiones)

ABSTRACT

Intraguild predation occurs when an organism preys on a competitor. This ecological interaction can have considerable consequences on the population dynamics of predators and indirectly affect their prey. In arachnids, it is a quite common phenomenon, but it has been poorly documented in the Neotropical region. Here, we present records of 16 species feeding on other 14 species of arachnids. The most common families that acted as predators were Buthidae (Scorpiones) and Salticidae (Araneae), while the most common prey were members of the families Araneidae and Ctenidae (Araneae). In our survey, Drake Bay, in Costa Rica, is overrepresented due to years of systematic observations by two of the coauthors.

Alex M. Cubas-Rodríguez, Darko D. Cotoras, Andrés Taucare‐Ríos, Luis F. de Armas, Antonio D. Brescovit, Gianfranco Gómez & Tracie L. Stice (09 Jul 2024): When the predator becomes the prey: new records of intraguild predation among Central American and Caribbean arachnids (Arachnida: Amblypygi, Araneae, Scorpiones), Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 

DOI: 10.1080/01650521.2024.2353007