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A treefrog's menu: Selection for an evening's meal

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Summary

Spodoptera (Lepidoptera) and Chauliognathus (Coleoptera) larvae are the two prey most frequently consumed by Hyla cinerea in the field, whereas Musca (Diptera) is the most consistently preferred food item offered in laboratory experiments in which prey are equally available. Three genus-specific variables influence prey selection: (1) prey length, (2) activity patterns exhibited by prey, and (3) the proportion of time devoted by prey to specific behavior patterns. The quality of feeding stimuli (estimated in captures/h) vary within the behavioral repertoire of a prey genus as well as among different prey performing similar activities.

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  1. Department of Zoology, University of Florida, 32611, Gainesville, Florida, USA

    Arthur N. Freed

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  1. Arthur N. Freed
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Freed, A.N. A treefrog's menu: Selection for an evening's meal. Oecologia 53, 20–26 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377131

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00377131

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