Diet Composition of Japanese Tree Frog (Hyla japonica) in a Rice Paddy, South Korea

Diet composition of amphibians usually reflects the distribution of potential prey within habitats, as well as their diet preference. We identified the diet items of Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica) using a stomach flushing method in a rice paddy for the establishment of bio-monitoring systems of landscape changes. During the reproductive period, 71% of calling males had empty stomachs. All prey items in the stomachs belonged to the phylum Arthropoda, from eight orders of Insecta and one order of Arachnida. Among insect prey, the most common items in the stomachs were adults of beetles, flies and bugs, and larvae of butterflies and moths. There was a significant positive correlation between the body mass of Japanese tree frogs and the volume of prey items. Our results can provide a basic framework to guide the monitoring systems using prey identification of Japanese tree frogs.