Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia

 

Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia

Abstract

Sit-and-wait predators often exploit resources efficiently by consuming a wide range of prey. This study provides the first assessment of the natural diet and prey selectivity of the spider Neotama mexicana (Hersiliidae) in a tropical humid forest in Manizales, Colombia. Both diurnal and nocturnal surveys were conducted to document actual and potential prey. A total of 102 prey items were recorded. Although no statistically significant positive selectivity was detected at the order level, N. mexicana showed a marked tendency to consume spiders (particularly Clubiona and Anyphaenidae) and a lower tendency to feed on dipterans, hemipterans, hymenopterans, and psocopterans. These findings indicate that N. mexicana is a euryphagous predator, primarily consuming cursorial arthropods. Future studies should determine whether this feeding pattern is common among hersiliids, whether this species possesses morphological or behavioral adaptations for araneophagy, and how prey nutritional quality influences its diet.

Galvis-Cano, Y. A., Gómez, J. Á., Castro, G. R., Aceves-Aparicio, A., Robledo-Ospina, L. E., & García, L. F. (2026). Natural diet, trophic niche and prey selectivity of a euryphagous bark predator, Neotama mexicana (Araneae: Hersiliidae), in a semi-urban forest of Caldas, Colombia. Food Webs, e00438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2026.e00438