Herpetology Notes, volume 11: 993-995 (2018) (published online on 26 November 2018)

Predation on Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885) (Anura: ) by giant water bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) in southeastern Brazil

André Yves1,*, Emanuel Masiero da Fonseca2, Matheus de Oliveira Neves3, and Bernadete Maria de Sousa1

Anurans play an important role in food webs as prey Paulo (Caramaschi and Cruz, 1997; Silva et al., 2009). of many vertebrates, including fish, other , Although C. albopunctata is normally associated reptiles, birds, and mammals. Moreover, beetles, with temporary ponds, this species can also be found spiders, water bugs, crabs, and even carnivorous plants in disturbed habitats (Aquino et al., 2004; Silva et al., are also among anuran predators (Duellman and Trueb, 2009; Forlani et al., 2011). 1994; Toledo, 2003; Toledo et al., 2007; Wells, 2007). Herein, we report the predation of an adult of C. Nevertheless, behavioral events like predation might be albopunctata by a giant water bug (Hemiptera: difficult to record, leading to insufficient knowledge Belostomatidae). Our report (Fig. 1) was made on 28 about these events (Pombal Jr., 2007). However, data January 2016, at 22:47h, near to the Serra do Cipó about predation are fundamental for the understanding National Park, in the municipality of Santana do Riacho, of predator -prey interactions around the world (Toledo, Minas Gerais state, Brazil (19º20’ S and 43º38’ W). 2005). The area is located under the Cerrado morphoclimatic The genus Chiasmocleis Méhely, 1904, currently domain, which represents a biodiversity hotspot for comprises 34 species, from which 25 species are conservation (Mittermeier et al., 2004). The event currently distributed in Brazil (Segalla et al., 2016; occurred in a temporary pond, surrounded by non-native Frost, 2018). Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, Cerrado vegetation, at the roadside leading the Serra 1885) is a small , reaching about 32 mm of snout- do Cipó National Park. Although we did not collect vent length in males and 38 mm in females (Caramaschi the specimen, we identified the species based on the and Cruz, 1997). This species is widely distributed following characters presented in the re-description by throughout open areas in eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, Caramaschi and Cruz (1997): 1) Lack of occipital fold, and Brazil, where it inhabits the states of Goiás, Mato and postorbital fold present; 2) ventral coloration gray Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and São with large, well-delimited, and irregularly distributed whitish blotches; 3) free fingers and toes, lacking disks, and slightly fringed; 4) dark gray dorsal coloration with whitish bar on snout, extending along canthus rostralis, superior palpebra, and fragmented as irregular blotches on dorsum, arms and legs. Giant water bugs are among the prominent predators 1 Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Campus Universitário, of anurans (e.g. Bastos et al., 1994; Toledo, 2003; 36036-330, Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brasil. Nenda et al., 2008; Figueiredo-de-Andrade et al., 2010; 2 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Pereira et al., 2011; Batista et al., 2013; Baracho et al., Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, 2014), including another microhylid (Zaracho, 2012). 59078-900, Lagoa Nova, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. However, this is the first record of a predation event 3 Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, on a C. albopunctata by a giant water bug. According Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Cidade Universitária, 79070-900, Campo to Toledo (2005), the predation risk by invertebrates Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. seems to be greater in two crucial periods of the anurans * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] life cycle: 1) when the recently-metamorphosed 994 André Yves et al.

Figure 1. Predation of Chiasmocleis albopunctata by a giant water bug (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae), near to the Serra do Cipó National Park, in the Santana do Riacho Municipality, Minas Gerais State, Brazil.

are about to leave the water and 2) during the breading Baracho, E.B.O., Silva, J.S., Nascimento, B.H.M., Fonseca, E.M., season. We found the C. albopunctata specimen in a Magalhães, F.M. (2014): Dendropsophus branneri (Cochran, temporary pond, where other conspecifics were in 1948) (Anura: Hylidae) as prey to invertebrates in northeastern Brazil. Herpetology Notes 7: 17–19. reproductive activity, thus we believe that the second Batista, V.G., Affonso, I.P., Hanisch, R.F., Oda, F.H. (2013): assertion could potentially explain our findings. Thus, Predation on Eupemphix nattereri Steindachner, 1863 (Anura, predation might be a common pressure over this Leiuperidae) by giant water bugs, Lethocerus delpontei species. De Carlo, 1930 and L. annulipes (Herrich-Schäffer, 1845) (Hemiptera, Belostomatidae). �������������������������������� Acknowledgements. We are grateful to Maria Olivia Sanna, for Sciences 8: 364–368. the support on field. AY thanks Federal University of Juiz de Fora Caramaschi, U., Cruz, C.A.G. (1997): Redescription of (ProPesq - UFJF) for his scholarship. BMS thanks the National Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger) and description of a new Council for Scientific and Technology Development (CNPq) for species of Chiasmocleis (Anura: Microhylidae). Herpetologica her Productivity Scholarship – PQ. 53(2): 259–268. Duellman, W.E., Trueb, L. (1994): Biology of Amphibians. Baltimore, The John Hopkins University Press. References Figueiredo-de-Andrade, C.A., Santana, D.J., de Carvalho-e-Silva, Aquino, L., Colli, G., Reichle, S., Silvano, D., Scott, N. (2004): S.P. (2010): Predation on Scinax x-signatus (Anura: Hylidae) Chiasmocleis albopunctata. �he IUCN Red List of Threatened by the giant water bug Lethocerus annulipes (Hemiptera: Species. Available at: http://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on Belostomatidae) in a Brazilian Restinga habitat. Herpetology 31 October 2017. Notes 3: 53–54. Bastos, R.P., Oliveira, O.C., Pombal Jr., J.P. (1994): Hyla minuta: Forlani, M.C., Valdujo, P.H., Pavan, D., Maciel, A.O., Peloso, Predation. Herpetological Review 25(3): 118–118. P.L.V. (2011): Review of the geographical distribution of the Predation on Chiasmocleis albopunctata by giant water bug in Brazil 995

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Accepted by Martin Jansen