Predation of top predators: cane toad consumption of bullet ants in a Panamanian lowland wet forest. (30th October 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Morrison, Colin R.
• Is Part Of: Journal of tropical ecology. Volume 34:Part 6(2018)
• Page Start: 390
• Page End: 394
• Publication Date: 2018-10-30
• Subjects: extirpate, -- interaction, -- nest, -- Paraponera clavata, -- Pipeline Road, -- prey, -- Rhinella marina; Ecology -- Tropics -- Periodicals; 577.0913
• DOI: 10.1017/S0266467418000342
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0266-4674

Abstract

Abstract: Despite a clear consensus about the major roles that predators play in shaping ecological communities, descriptive studies of interactions between ecologically important top predator species are underreported. Native cane toad consumption of predatory bullet ant nests was verified through multiple, independent observations taken on Pipeline Road, Panama. Cane toad predation led to the extirpation of 42% of the nests within a 1.05 km 2 area that is characterized as a late-successional wet forest. This predation pressure could be significant given the high rate of predation events and low bullet ant nest density observed here (0.12 nests ha −1 ). Implications of this interaction for the local bullet ant population, possible top-down effects and trophic cascades resulting from this top predator interaction are discussed.