Dieta entomofágica de los armadillos (Orden: Cingulata) presentes en el Piedemonte Llanero y la Altillanura Colombiana

Abstract

For this research, the objective was to describe the entomophagic habits of Dasypus sabanicola, D. pastasae, Priodontes maximus and Cabassous unicinctus, as well as to determine the frequency-occurrence, number of specimens ingested, weight per prey and identify the importance relative to each dam. To comply with this objective, 47 samples collected by residents of the demonstration areas and directly in situ by the authors were analyzed, distributed in 279 pellets and 6 stomach contents between the months of January to October of the year 2022. The results are obtained that the ingestion of armadillos is composed mainly of social organisms, as indicated by averaging the percentage of frequencies: Isoptera of the apicotermitinae subfamily (63.201%) and formicids of the Solenopsis genus (48.729%). Additionally, a wide range of arthropods is identified as a food source for armadillos, among which insects, arachnids and myriapods stand out. The four species of armadillos have a preference for organizations of social insects such as formicids and isoptera (<50% IRI) and other groups of insects such as orthoptera, diptera, hemiptera, lepidoptera and dermaptera as accidental foods; and other groups of arthropods such as arachnids and myriapods.