A further new species for the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones: Ananteridae) from a poorly prospected region of Brazilian Amazonia

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  A further new species for the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones: Ananteridae) from a poorly prospected region of Brazilian Amazonia Abstract  A new species of the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 is described from the region which today defines the ‘Reserva Biológica do Río Trombetas’ in the state of Pará, Brazil. The collection of the unique specimen, presently study, took place previously to the definition of this reserve, in a joint field trip with a team of the Instituto Brasileiro de Desenvolvimento Florestal (IBDF). Ananteris antoni sp. n. is described based on one female specimen collected in a zone of dense humid forest, under death log. With this new description, the number of Ananteris species known for the scorpion fauna of Brazil is now raised to 33. Lourenço W. R., 2026. – A further new species for the genus Ananteris Thorell, 1891 (Scorpiones: Ananteridae) from a poorly prospected region of Brazilian Amazonia. Faunitaxys, 14(63): 1 – 5.  https://doi.o...

First record of bird and spider species preying on dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Amazon Forest

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First record of bird and spider species preying on dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Amazon Forest

Abstract

Predator-prey relationships are critical for establishing trophic networks, but our understanding of these interactions is hindered by a lack of records in tropical rainforest ecosystems. Although literature indicates that dung beetles may be preyed by a wide range of animal species, surprisingly, there are no such antagonistic records between dung beetles and other species in the Amazon forest. The objective of this study is to present two records of such interactions in the Amazon, involving a bird and a spider species preying on dung beetles. The bird Galbula albirostris Latham, 1790 (Aves: Galbulidae) was observed feeding on a Deltochilini dung beetle (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a terra firme forest, while a Canthidum sp. was captured in a Trichonephila sp. (Araneae: Nephilidae) spider web on an artificial island also located in a terra firme forest. While birds are the most commonly recorded predators of dung beetles in the literature, there are few records of such predation events with spider species. The scarcity of data regarding predatory behavior on dung beetles in the Amazon forest underscores the need to assess these interactions to establish their importance in maintaining food webs.

Salomão, R. P., Valentim, C., & Lira, A. F. A. (2026). First record of bird and spider species preying on dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Amazon Forest. Entomological Communications, 8, ec08010. https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec08010