Publicação
First observation of Lethocerus cordofanus (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) preying on Afronycteris nana (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)
| Resumo: | Giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) are key predators in freshwater ecosystems and have been reported to feed on several species of vertebrates, including fishes, amphibians and reptiles. Here, we report the opportunistic predation of an adult female vesper bat (Afronycteris nana) by a giant water bug (Lethocerus cordofanus) in a temporary pond in a rice paddy in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. To our best knowledge, this is the first instance of natural predation upon a mammal by a giant water bug to be documented in a scientific report. |
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| Autores principais: | Chen, Kelvin |
| Outros Autores: | Massaad, Mark; F. De Lima, Ricardo; Rainho, Ana; Rocha, Ricardo |
| Ano: | 2023 |
| País: | Portugal |
| Tipo de documento: | artigo |
| Tipo de acesso: | acesso aberto |
| Instituição associada: | Universidade de Lisboa |
| Idioma: | inglês |
| Origem: | Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa |
| Resumo: | Giant water bugs (Hemiptera: Belostomatidae) are key predators in freshwater ecosystems and have been reported to feed on several species of vertebrates, including fishes, amphibians and reptiles. Here, we report the opportunistic predation of an adult female vesper bat (Afronycteris nana) by a giant water bug (Lethocerus cordofanus) in a temporary pond in a rice paddy in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa. To our best knowledge, this is the first instance of natural predation upon a mammal by a giant water bug to be documented in a scientific report. |
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