First Record of Predation on a Regal Black-striped Snake, Coniophanes imperialis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae), by a Mexican Red-rump Tarantula, Tliltocatl vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Quintana Roo, Mexico

  First Record of Predation on a Regal Black-striped Snake, Coniophanes imperialis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae), by a Mexican Red-rump Tarantula, Tliltocatl vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae), in Quintana Roo, Mexico Abstract We report the first documented predation event by the Mexican Red Rump Tarantula (Tliltocatl vagans) upon a Regal Black-striped Snake (Coniophanes imperialis), during the night on 27 September 2025, outside a house located on the outskirts of Bacalar city, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Cedeño-Vázquez, José & Beutelspacher-García, Pablo & Lucio Palacio, César. (2026). First record of predation on a regal black-striped snake Coniophanes imperialis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) by a Mexican red rump tarantula Tliltocatl vagans (Araneae: Theraphosidae) in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología. 09. 477-481. 10.22201/fc.25942158e.2026.2.1603. 

A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)

 


A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae)

Abstract

Ant predation (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) by the genus Lasaeola Simon, 1881 is a behaviour sporadically reported in the scientific literature and frequently observed in images uploaded to various online platforms. While these scattered observations confirm the existence of this predator-prey interaction, a systematic analysis of these observations has never been undertaken. Here, we present the first formal analysis and compilation of documented cases of myrmecophagy in Lasaeola, providing evidence that obligate ant predation is a likely foraging strategy for this genus.

A taste for ants: potential obligate myrmecophagy in Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae), 
Dentici A & Bianco VFL (2025), Eine Vorliebe für Ameisen: Potentielle obligate Myrmekophagie durch die Gattung Lasaeola (Araneae: Theridiidae), Heft 70, 24-28 10.30963/aramit7005