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===== RESEARCH NOTES ===== ===== НАУЧНЫЕ ЗАМЕТКИ =======
FIRST AMPHIBIAN BEHAVIOURAL OBSERVATION FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA: PREDATION OF A DRYOPHYTES JAPONICUS TADPOLE BY HYDATICUS SP. LARVAE
Amaël Borzee
Ewha Womans University, Republic of Korea e-mail: amaelborzee@gmail.com
Received: 03.09.2018. Revised: 06.11.2018. Accepted: 07.11.2018.
Data on the predator-prey relationship of small animal species is still understudied, especially in countries where scientific research is not yet widely shared, such as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Here, I report the interaction between a Hydaticus sp. larvae and a Dryophytes japonicus treefrog tadpole, where the invertebrate preyed on the vertebrate. This is the first data available on the diet of a Hydaticus sp. larvae, and the first behavioural observation of D. japonicus, in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Key words: anuran, food web, Japanese treefrog, North Korea, predation
Amphibians play an important role in the food web, and very few individuals reach the adult stage (Cecil & Just, 1979). One of the main causes of mortality is predation by a wide variety of species (Wellborn et al., 1996; Kishida & Nishimura, 2005; Smith et al., 2005), mainly represented by fish and aquatic insects (e.g. Chivers & Mirza, 2001; Baber & Babbitt, 2004). Within aquatic insects feeding on tadpoles, a large body of research has been dedicated to dragonfly larvae (e.g. Caldwell et al., 1980), and their impact on tadpoles' behaviour and morphology (Relyea, 2001, 2003; Kishida & Nishimura, 2005). However, other species feed on amphibian larvae as well. For instance, adult individuals of Hydaticus sp. are selective bottom-foraging predatory diving beetles with a usual preference for Chironomus larvae as food item. However, they sometimes also include amphibian larvae to their diet (e.g. Rana arvalis, Nilsson 1842), although not as favourite preys (Klecka & Boukal, 2012; Culler et al., 2014).
The larvae of the Japanese Treefrog (Dryophytes japonicus, Günther 1859) display predator-specific behaviours, based on predator's foraging strategies (Takahara et al., 2006; Kim, 2016). These predators include for instance Goldfish (Carassius auratus, Linnaeus 1758), round-tailed paradise fish (Macropodus ocellatus, Cantor, 1842) and dragonfly nymphs (Anax parthenope julius, Brauer 1865 according to Takahara et al. (2006), and Orthetrum albistylum, Selys, 1848 according to Kim (2016)). The treefrog D. japonicus is widespread on the Korean Peninsula, both North (Kim & Han, 2009)
and South (Roh et al., 2014) and it is therefore an important food item for predators (Tamada, 2012).
Here, I report a case of a Hydaticus sp. larvae preying on a D. japonicus tadpole (Fig.) in the Ramsar site Rason Migratory Bird Reserve in Rason in North Hamgyong, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (42.354604°N, 130.579742°E, 3 m a.s.l.) on 5 June 2018. The site was a shallow pond (approximately 10 x 7 m, 15-70 cm deep), resulting from soil extraction. The water quality was within the ecological requirements of the species at similar latitude (Hasumi et al., 2011; Heo et al., 2019; compared to Table). Only tadpoles of D. japonicus were found in the water despite the presence of numerous breeding D. japonicus and Pelophylax nigromaculatus at the site.
Fig. Predation on Dryophytes japonicus tadpole by a Hydaticus sp. larvae in Rason in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in June 2018.
Table. Environmental variables at the observation site in Rason in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in June 2018. These variables are not different from the ones at which Dryophytes japonicus is found in other parts of its range
Variables Values
Air temperature (°C) 24.2
Relative humidity (%) 71
Air pressure (hPa) 17.8
Water temperature (°C) 29.2
Conductivity (^S) 85.5
pH 8.89
Salinity (ppm) 49.3
Total dissolved solids (ppm) 62.7
The predatory Hydaticus sp. larvae was likely to be H. grammicus, Germar 1827 (Yoon & Ahn 1988) based on the species abundance and distribution. It was seen grabbing the ventral area of the tadpole with its mandibles, before moving up towards the head (Fig.). The predator then proceeded to start feeding on the head of the tadpole through suction, while the tadpole swam, apparently to get rid of the predator. The anti-predator response was at first strong, but visibly weakening and ceased before the death of the tadpole within 10 minutes. Partial consumption of large food items, here missing head parts, is a described trait of a suctorial diving beetle such as Hydaticus sp. (Klecka & Boukal, 2013). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a tadpole D. japonicus used as food sources by Hydaticus sp. larvae. It is also the first behavioural observation on an amphibian reported from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (Kim & Han, 2009) and confirms the presence of both D. japonicus and Hydaticus sp. in the province.
Acknowledgements
I am grateful to the Hanns Seidel Foundation for supporting field work.
References
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ПЕРВОЕ НАБЛЮДЕНИЕ ПОВЕДЕНИЯ АМФИБИИ ИЗ КОРЕЙСКОЙ НАРОДНО-ДЕМОКРАТИЧЕСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ: ХИЩНИЧЕСТВО ЛИЧИНКИ HYDATICUS SP. НА ГОЛОВАСТИКАХ DRYOPHYTES JAPONICUS
А. Борзи
Женский университет Ихва, Республика Корея e-mail: amaelborzee@gmail.com
До сих пор существует недостаток данных о взаимодействиях хищника и жертвы среди мелких животных. Особенно в странах, где научные исследования еще широко не распространены, например, в Корейской Народно-Демократической Республике. В данной работе представлена информация о взаимодействии между личинкой Hydaticus sp. и головастиком квакши Dryophytes japonicus, где беспозвоночное животное охотилось на позвоночное. Это первые данные о рационе личинок Hydaticus sp. и первое наблюдение поведения D. japonicus в Корейской Народно-Демократической Республике.
Ключевые слова: бесхвостые, дальневосточная квакша, пищевая цепь, Северная Корея, хищничество
