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Herpetological Review 46(4), 2015
NATURAL HISTORY NOTES 613
1948. Herpetologica 4:158; Raven 1990. Mem. Queensland Mus.
29:448; Steehouder 1992. Litteratura Serpentium 12:71). Ac-
cording to a cursory literature review of invertebrates and their
anuran prey (Toledo 2005. Herpetol. Rev. 36:395–400), Hyla ci-
nerea has been preyed upon by the spider species Dolomedes
okefinokensis (Okefenokee Fishing Spider; Jeffery et al. Herpe-
tol. Rev. 35:158) and Acanthepeira stellata (Starbellied Orbwe-
aver). At 2150 h on 17 August 2015 a Dolomedes triton (Six-
spotted Fishing Spider) was observed grasping a juvenile H.
cinerea and trying to subdue it (Fig. 1). The spider was perched
on a reed in a water-filled ditch alongside County Road 414, 0.2
km S of Jonesboro, Craighead Co., Arkansas, USA (35.7559°N,
90.7048°W; WGS 84). Dolomedes triton has been observed feed-
ing on adult Acris gryllus (Southern Cricket Frog; Graham and
Sorrel 2009. Herpetol. Rev. 40:198) and larval Lithobates cates-
beianus (American Bullfrog; Rogers 1996. Herpetol. Rev. 27:75)
in Alabama.
JOHN D. KONVALINA (e-mail: john.konvalin@smail.astate.edu) and
STANLEY E. TRAUTH, Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State
University P.O. Box 599, State University, Arkansas 72467, USA (e-mail:
strauth@astate.edu).
LEPTODACTYLUS KNUDSENI (Pepper Frog). DIET. Leptodac-
tylids are frogs known as sit-and-wait predators that consume
several different types of arthropods (Toft 1980. Oecologia 47:34–
38; Solé et al. 2009. Herpetol. Notes 2:9–15; Sugai et al. 2012. Biota
Neotro. 12:99–104; Camera et al. 2014. Herpetol. Notes 7:31–36).
The prey is often swallowed whole since anurans do not chew
food, limiting the size of the prey they can eat (Lima and Moreira
1993. Oecologia 95:93–102).
Leptodactylus knudseni is a large (SVL = 113–135 mm),
nocturnal frog generally found on the forest floor in riparian
habitat (Lima et al. 2008. Guide to the Frogs of Reserva Adolpho
Ducke, Central Amazonia. Attema Design Editorial, Manaus. 168
pp.). Rhinodrilus priolli (Giant Earthworm) is one of the largest
terrestrial invertebrates known in the world reaching over 2 m
in length (Lang et al. 2012. Am. Midl. Nat. 167:384–395). At 0130
h on 30 April 2012 at Fazenda Experimental da UFAM (2.6589°S,
60.0660°W; WGS 84), 38 km from Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil on
Hwy BR174, we observed a male L. knudseni (SVL = 97.8 mm),
swallowing a R. priolli which had a total length of 210 mm (Fig.
1). While we observed the frog feeding, it became inactive and
started to regurgitate the worm. At the same time, the worm
was crawling out of the frog’s mouth. The worm was ingested
headfirst but suffered little apparent damage despite having
been nearly totally swallowed by the frog. The size of the worm
may have prevented the frog from swallowing it.
ANDRÉ L. BARROS, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto Nacional de
Pesquisas da Amazônia – Campus V8, Av. Egênio Sales, 2239, 69060-020,
Manaus, AM, Brazil (e-mail: andrelima1701@gmail.com); PATRIK F. VI-
ANA, Laboratório de Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da
Amazônia - Campus II, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69080-971 Manaus, AM, Bra-
zil (e-mail: patrik.biologia@gmail.com); DIEGO M. M. MENDES, Coleção
Entomológica, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia - Campus II,
Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69080-971 Manaus, AM, Brazil (e-mail: diego.mello.
mendes@gmail.com); DIEGO A. PIRES, Departamento de Ecologia, Insti-
tuto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia – Campus V8, Av. Egênio Sales ,
2239, 69060-020, Manaus, AM, Brazil (e-mail: dieguinho.slipknot@hotmail.
com); RICHARD C. VOGT, Coleção de Anfíbios e Répteis, Instituto Nacional
de Pesquisas da Amazônia - Campus II, Av. André Araújo, 2936, 69080-971
Manaus, AM, Brazil (e-mail: vogt@inpa.gov.br).
PHYSALAEMUS NATTERERI (Cuyaba Dwarf Frog). TADPOLE
DIET. The functional roles and trophic status of generalized tad-
poles are poorly understood (Altig et al. 2007. Freshwater Biol.
52:386–395). At 2030 h on 27 November 2014 at the Reserva
Natural de Laguna Blanca, Departamento San Pedro, Paraguay
(23.8127°S, 56.2949°W; WGS 84), I encountered a small ephem-
eral pond (ca. 3 m × 3 m) where I observed dozens of Physalae-
mus nattereri tadpoles consuming the flesh of the seeds of a
Coco Palm (Family Arecaceae). In the same pond, I also observed
several of the same seeds that had already been cleared of their
flesh. To my knowledge, this is the first time that P. nattereri tad-
poles have been observed consuming the flesh of the seeds of
Coco Palms. In a study of their diet in southeastern Brazil, tad-
poles of P. nattereri that occurred in both temporary and perma-
nent ponds had large proportions of plant fragments, euglenids,
algae, and diatoms in their diet (Do Prado et al. 2009. S. Am. J.
Herpetol. 4:275–285). While it was not specified as to the type of
plant fragments found in the diet of P. nattereri in Brazil, my ob-
servation is consistent with the previous report that plant mate-
rial is a component in the diet of P. nattereri tadpoles.
Fig. 1. Dolomedes triton subduing Hyla cinerea.
Fig. 1. A) Leptodactylus knudseni swallowing the giant worm, Rhino-
drilus priolli. B) During our presence the frog stopped swallowing
the worm and it began crawling out of the frog’s mouth.
