Diet of Engystomops pustulosus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from Colombia and current knowledge of its dietary

Abstract

We investigated the diet of Engystomops pustulosus from a population in the Middle Magdalena River valley, including an evaluation of theeffect of body and head size on prey number and volume. We present the current state of knowledge of the diet of E. pustulosus from published information in addition to our data. We found a total of 400 prey items representing two phyla, Arthropoda and Mollusca; seven orders and nine families were detected. Arthropods, mainly insects, were the most frequent prey in the diet. Among arthropods, Acari and Isoptera were numerically dominant. We did not observe effects of body and head size on prey number and volume. The published literature of the diet of E. pustulosus included 66 prey items, among which Isoptera (termites), Acari, and Formicidae were the most common groups, suggesting dietary specialization. Prey items consumed by E. pustulosus varied among different localities; Blattodea, Orthoptera, and Thysanoptera were unique at certain localities. Further study of prey availability and diets associated with land-use changes across majorgeographic localities will contribute to a better understanding of the predator-prey interactions in these anthropogenic environments.

Keywords

• Ecosystem
• Feeding habits
• Frog
• Predator interaction
• Trophic specialist