Data from: Arthropods as vertebrate predators: a review of global patterns
DOI10.5281/zenodo.3978687Zenodo3978687MaRDI QIDQ6685918FDOQ6685918
Dataset published at Zenodo repository.
Publication date: 27 July 2021
Aim: Arthropods as vertebrate predators is generally overlooked in ecology due to the cryptic nature of these events, the relatively small size of arthropods, and the difficulty in finding published data. This study represents the largest global assessment of arthropods preying on vertebrates to provide a conceptual framework, identify global patterns, and provide a searchable database. Location: Global. Time period: Present. Major taxa studied: Arthropods and vertebrates. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted. Results: Nearly 1300 recorded observations were collated from 89 countries. Arthropod predators were from six classes and 80 families. Vertebrate prey were from five classes and 162 families. Spiders represented over half of all predatory events and were the main predator for all vertebrates except birds, which were preyed mostly upon by praying mantises. Over a third of all prey were amphibians, specifically frogs. Preyed reptiles were nearly all lizards, half of mammal prey were bats, nearly a third of fish were Cypriniformes, and half of bird prey were passerines. Predation by spiders were mainly documented from the U.S., Brazil, and Australia, and biased everywhere except the U.S.; insects were mainly from Europe, Australia, and the Americas, and biased toward North America; Amphibian events were mainly from the Americas and strongly biased everywhere, except for the U.S. and Australia; reptiles were mostly from the Americas and Australia, and biased towards the U.S. and Australia; birds were mainly from the Americas, Australia, and Europe, and biased towards Central America and Europe; mammals were mostly reported from North and Central America, Australia, and Asia, and strongly biased everywhere except Brazil. Main conclusions: This study demonstrates that arthropods are an underestimated predator of vertebrates. Recognizing and quantifying these predator-prey interactions is vital for identifying patterns and the potential impact of these relationships on shaping vertebrate populations and communities.
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