Are larger primates less faunivorous? Consumption of arthropods by Amazonian primates does not fulfil the Jarman-Bell and Kay models

Jesus, AS; Castilla Torres, RI; Quadros, JC; Cruz, AN; Valsecchi, J; Rocha El Bizri, H; Mayor, P

Abstract

Terrestrial arthropod groups, including insects, spiders, and millipedes, represent an important food resource for primates. However, species consumed and patterns and rates of arthropod-related feeding for most frugivorous primates are still poorly known. We examined stomach contents of 178 Amazonian primate specimens of nine genera and three families obtained from community-based collections voluntarily donated by subsistence hunters. Based on our results, we assessed whether consumption patterns followed the expected negative relationship between arthropod ingestion and body size as postulated in the Jarman-Bell and Kay models. We identified 12 consumed arthropod taxa, including insects (beetles, grasshoppers, ants, flies, caterpillars, praying mantises, and others), spiders and millipedes. Medium and large-bodied primates consumed a greater diversity (measured by Simpson’s diversity index) and richness of arthropods, but differed in terms of composition of taxa consumed. Cacajao, Sapajus and Cebus consumed proportionally more Orthoptera and Coleoptera compared to the other primate genera analyzed. We did not find significant correlations between richness and diversity of arthropods consumed and primate body mass. There was a slight tendency for the decrease in the relative content of arthropods in the diet with increased body mass in medium and large primates, which does not provide full support for the Jarman-Bell and Kay models. The study of arthropod consumption by arboreal primates in the wild remains challenging. Our study suggests that arthropods supply essential nutrients for frugivorous primates, and provides an alternative method to analyse faunal consumption patterns in primates.

Citation

Jesus, A., Castilla Torres, R., Quadros, J., Cruz, A., Valsecchi, J., Rocha El Bizri, H., & Mayor, P. (2022). Are larger primates less faunivorous? Consumption of arthropods by Amazonian primates does not fulfil the Jarman-Bell and Kay models. Acta Amazonica (Impresso), 52(3), 208-217. https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392202200842

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 24, 2022
• Publication Date: Sep 12, 2022
• Deposit Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2022
• Journal: Acta Amazonica
• Print ISSN: 0044-5967
• Volume: 52
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 208-217
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392202200842
• Publisher URL: http://doi.org/10.1590/1809-4392202200842
• Additional Information: Additional Information : ** Article version: VoR ** From Crossref journal articles via Jisc Publications Router ** Licence for VoR version of this article starting on 01-09-2022: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ **Journal IDs: eissn 1809-4392; pissn 0044-5967 **History: published 09-2022