Herpetology Notes, volume 10: 221-223 (2017) (published online on 20 May 2017)

Predation on Coleodactylus meridionalis (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) by Ctenus rectipes (Araneae: Ctenidae) in the Atlantic Forest, northeastern, Brazil

Camila Nascimento de Oliveira¹,*, Gessica Gomes Brabosa¹, Ikaro H. M. Pinto Campos¹, Míriam Camargo Guarnieri¹ and Samuel Cardozo Ribeiro²

Coleodactylus meridionalis (Boulenger 1888) of the families Tropiduridae (Vieira et al., 2012), belongs to the family of the smallest lizards in Brazil Gymnophthalmidae (Maffei et al., 2010), Gekkonidae (Sphaerodactylidae) (Gamble et al., 2011; Gonçalves et (Diniz, 2011) and Sphaerodactylidae (Hernandez-Ruz al., 2012), and this species may reach a rostral-cloacal et al., 2014; Almeida et al., 2015). length of around 29 mm (Freire, 1999). The species Spiders of the family Ctenidae are widely distributed is distributed in the Atlantic Forest (extends along the across almost all continents, except Antarctica (Platnick, Atlantic coast of Brazil) (Oliveira et al., 2016), Restinga 2013). There are some nocturnal species that are active (coastal sand spit habitats) (Dias and Rocha, 2014), foragers, which make rapid movements to catch their Brejos de Altitude (upland moist forest of northeastern prey (Griswold et al., 2005). The genus Ctenus is Brazil) (Ribeiro et al., 2012) and Caatinga (arid scrub abundant in tropical forests and Ctenus rectipes F.O. habitat) (Passos et al., 2016). Coleodactylus meridionalis Pickard-Cambridge, 1897, is a Neotropical species is a diurnal lizard (Vanzolini, 1957) and its diet includes with occurence limited to South America (Polotow and prey belonging to Araneae, Diptera, Hymenoptera, Brescovit, 2014). Isopoda, Isoptera, larvae of Lepidoptera, Orthoptera and In this study, we report on a case of predation of Pseudoscorpionida (Dias et al., 2003). Coleodactylus meridionalis by the spider Ctenus According to Vitt and Caldwell (2014), predation is rectipes in the Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil. the main cause of death among lizards, which constitute This event was observed in one of the forest fragments prey not only for vertebrates (Almeida et al., 2009; that form the Aldeia Beberibe Environmental Protection Gurgel and Quintas-Filho, 2014; Alcantara et al., 2015) Area, located in the municipality of Abreu e Lima but also for some invertebrates (Maffei et al., 2010; (Coordinates 07º50’19.1”S 035º06’04.2”W; datum: Vieira et al., 2012). Regarding invertebrate predators, WGS84; Altitude: 141m), in the state of Pernambuco, they generally seem to attack juvenile lizards and/or Brazil. The animals were collected (permit 43755-1 those with small body size (Vitt and Caldwell, 2014). ICMBio) and deposited in the Herpetology Collection There are records of predation by spiders on lizards of the Federal University of Pernambuco (CH-UFPE; voucher 232) and Arachnology Collection of the Federal University of Pernambuco (CA-UFPE; voucher 10481) (Fig. 1). On October 19, 2014 (07:24 PM), an adult specimen 1 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, of Ctenus rectipes was observed feeding on an adult Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Av. Prof. Moraes specimen of Coleodactylus meridionalis. Both of them Rego, 1235, Cidade Universitária, CEP: 50.670-901, Recife, were on leaf litter close to the base of a tree. The spider Pernambuco, PE, Brasil. was on top of the lizard, holding the animal’s neck with 2 Instituto de Formação de Educadores (IFE), Universidade its chelicerae, while the lizard was trying to escape by Federal do Cariri, Campus Brejo Santo, Rua Olegário Emídio twisting its body. The lizard had possibly been resting, de Araújo - S/N, CEP: 63260-000, Brejo Santo, Ceará, CE, Brasil. given that diurnal habits of the prey (Vanzolini, 1957), * Corresponding author e-mail: and because the spider is a nocturnal species (Griswold [email protected] et al., 2005). Coleodactylus meridionalis is a lizard 222 Camila Nascimento de Oliveira et al.

Fig. 1. Predation of Coleodactylus meridionalis (lizard) by the spider Ctenus rectipes in the Atlantic Forest, Pernambuco, Brazil (specimens deposited on collection). A. Front view of the spider, B. Dorsal view of the spider, C. Dorsal view of the lizard.

that is typically found on leaf litter (Vanzolini, 1957; Regarding predation of Sphaerodactylidae by Vanzolini, 1968) and C. rectipes is the third most invertebrates, there are records of spiders of the abundant species of spiders occurring at such localities Ctenidae family feeding lizard C. amazonicus at (Costa, 2012). Amazon Forest (Hernández-Ruz et al., 2014) and the In the family Sphaerodactylidae, there are the record species Parabatinga brevipes (Ctenidae) preying on of predation of the lizard Chatogekko amazonicus by Coleodactylus meridionalis at the Atlantic Forest the snake Taeniophallus brevirostris (Dipsadidae) (Almeida et al., 2015). The present record contributes (Ávila-Pires, 1995). There is also a predation by Anolis towards knowledge of the trophic interactions between cristatellus lizards (Dactyloidae), which regurgitated lizards and predatory invertebrates, thus aiding in an individual Sphaerodactylus macrolepis (Kelehear understanding the natural history of both of them. and Graham, 2015), Brasiliscincus heathi (Scincidae) and Tropidurus hygomi (Tropiduridae) preying Acknowledgements. We would like to thank Arthur Alvaro Coleodactylus meridionalis (Vargens and Dias, 2005; Costa Silva Filho for identifying the spider and the Marechal Alcantara et al., 2015). Newton Cavalcante Educational Field Center for making the area Predation on Coleodactylus meridionalis by Ctenus rectipes in northeastern, Brazil 223 available for the fieldwork from which this record resulted. ��� Hernández-Ruz, E.J., Carvalho, J.C., Oliveira, E.A. (2014): thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Chatogekko amazonicus predation. ��������������������� 45: Tecnológico (CNPq) for the bursary that was granted. 126 Kelehear, C., Graham, S.P. (2015): Anolis cristatellus (crested anole) diet. Herpetological Review 46: 431 Reference Maffei, F., Ubaid, F.K., Jim, J. (2010): Predation of herps by spiders (Araneae) in the Brazilian Cerrado. Herpetology Notes Alcantara, E.P., Oliveira, D.B., Silva, C.F., Quirino, T.F., Ávila, 3: 167-170 R.W., Morais, D.H. (2015): Coleodactylus meridionalis Oliveira, C.N., Muniz, S.L.S., Moura, G.J.B. (2016): Reptiles of an (meridian gecko) predation. Herpetological Review 46: 630 urban Atlantic Rainforest fragment in the state of Pernambuco, Almeida, G.V., Silva, G.L., Campos, T.F., Muniz, S.L., Santos, E. northeastern Brazil. Herpetology Notes 175-183 M. (2009): Predação do lagarto Tropidurus cocorobensis pela Passos, D.C., Mesquita, P.C.M.D., Borges-Nojosa, D.M. 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Accepted by Diego Santana