Wizen Gil, Gasith Avital
Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel.
Zookeys. 2011(100):181-91. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.100.1526. Epub 2011 May 20.
The genus Epomis is represented in Israel by two species: Epomis dejeani and Epomis circumscriptus. In the central coastal plain these species are sympatric but do not occur in the same sites. The objective of this study was to record and describe trophic interactions between the adult beetles and amphibian species occurring in the central coastal plain of Israel. Day and night surveys at three sites, as well as controlled laboratory experiments were conducted for studying beetle-amphibian trophic interaction. In the field we recorded three cases of Epomis dejeani preying upon amphibian metamorphs and also found that Epomis adults share shelters with amphibians. Laboratory experiments supported the observations that both Epomis species can prey on amphibians. Predation of the three anuran species (Bufo viridis, Hyla savignyi and Rana bedriagae) and two urodele species (Triturus vittatus and Salamandra salamandra infraimmaculata) is described. Only Epomis dejeani consumed Triturus vittatus. Therefore, we conclude that the two species display a partial overlap in food habit.
德氏埃波米斯和环纹埃波米斯。在中部沿海平原，这些物种同域分布，但不出现在相同地点。本研究的目的是记录和描述成年甲虫与以色列中部沿海平原出现的两栖动物物种之间的营养相互作用。在三个地点进行了白天和夜间调查，以及进行了对照实验室实验，以研究甲虫 - 两栖动物的营养相互作用。在野外，我们记录了三例德氏埃波米斯捕食两栖动物幼体的情况，还发现埃波米斯成虫与两栖动物共用庇护所。实验室实验支持了这一观察结果，即两种埃波米斯物种都能捕食两栖动物。描述了对三种无尾目物种（绿蟾蜍、萨氏雨蛙和贝氏姬蛙）和两种有尾目物种（斑纹蝾螈和以色列无斑蝾螈）的捕食情况。只有德氏埃波米斯捕食斑纹蝾螈。因此，我们得出结论，这两个物种在食性上存在部分重叠。
