Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) as Overlooked Predators of Anurans in the Neotropics
ABSTRACT
Arthropods are traditionally viewed as invertebrate prey and as predators of other invertebrates, whereas vertebrates are typically considered their predators. However, this paradigm has increasingly been challenged, particularly among arachnids. While several invertebrates are well documented as frog predators, the capacity of particular groups, such as harvestmen (Opiliones), to prey on vertebrates has remained largely anecdotal. Here we report novel field observations of anuran predation by multiple Cranaidae harvestman species across several Neotropical localities. These records include the active capture and consumption of live frogs, demonstrating their role as opportunistic mesopredators. Our findings expand current knowledge of Opiliones ecology by confirming that vertebrate predation occurs across multiple species and localities. Our results suggest that vertebrate consumption among arachnids may be more taxonomically widespread than previously recognized, highlighting the need to consider Opiliones as potential predators in Neotropical trophic networks.
Calvache, E., Villarreal, O., Ávila-Rojas, C., Bentley, A. G., Brito, K., Correa-Zanotti, C., Gutiérrez-Arboleda, M., Iñiguez, K., Narváez, J. C., Proaño, L., Reyes-Vizcaíno, M., & García, L. F. (2026). Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) as Overlooked Predators of Anurans in the Neotropics. Ecology and Evolution, 16(4), e73542. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73542