Tadpoles of the sandpaper frog, Lechriodus fletcheri, hunt mosquito larvae in ephemeral pools

Amphibian tadpoles are generally considered to be herbivores or plant-based detritivores that occupy lower trophic levels within freshwater aquatic communities. However, tadpoles are known to incorporate a variety of animal products within their diets as well. There are also many examples of tadpole species occupying higher trophic levels as opportunistic predators of conspecifics and other animals. In this paper, I describe the opportunistic predation of mosquito larvae by tadpoles of the sandpaper frog, Lechriodus fletcheri. Field observations revealed that L. fletcheri tadpoles actively preyed on mosquito larvae at the surface of the water column, using a series of swimming-to-gliding motions to hunt. This swimming routine may be effective for catching mosquito larvae, which respond to water vibrations to evade predation, allowing tadpoles to effectively become `invisible' to the larvae during periods when tail motions are ceased. Given that L. fletcheri tadpoles have a non-specialised omnivorous diet, these findings indicate that the tadpoles of some species have the ability to take up multiple ecological roles within freshwater systems, including as opportunistic predators.