Predation of army ants by Toppin’s titi monkey, Plecturocebus toppini Thomas 1914 (Primates: Pitheciidae), in an urban forest fragment in eastern Acre, Brazil

Abstract

The predation of army ants (Eciton rapax) was recorded during an observational study of the feeding behavior of a group of titi monkeys (Plecturocebus toppini) in an urban fragment of forest in Acre, Brazil. During one observed event, the group's adult female used its tail to retrieve ants, a type of behavior not observed previously in this genus. All incidents of on-forest floor foraging occurred during the dry season, when fruit was least abundant in the forest, while on other occasions, the ants were captured from tree branches and leaves. The observation of predation and ground-level foraging recorded in this study reinforce the adaptive capacity of P. toppini for survival in fragmented forests, and this was also the first record of the predation of army ants by this titi species.

Predation of leaf-cutter ants <em>Atta opaciceps</em> Borgmeier, 1939 by the white-tufted marmoset <em>Callithrix jacchus</em> (Linnaeus, 1758): study case and review

“…Further, Souza & Calouro (2018) observed the predation upon ants by Plecturocebus toppini Thomas, 1914 on a small urban forest fragment. The combination of variables such as highly energy-demanding periods, or seasonal fluctuations of food availability suggest that even small insects such as ants may represent an important and alternative food source on degraded habitats, including urban environments (Table 1).…”