Submitted by Gizele Lima (gizele.lima@inpa.gov.br) on 2016-09-08T18:51:00Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação_André_Lima_final.pdf: 855932 bytes, checksum: 5a6e92804ee929e182c115db7af0f025 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-08T18:51:00Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação_André_Lima_final.pdf: 855932 bytes, checksum: 5a6e92804ee929e182c115db7af0f025 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-04-05 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Chemically-based mimicry and camouflage is known to be employed by invertebrate parasites of social insect colonies, but the use of this strategy by vertebrates to avoid detection by social insects has received less attention. Here we examine the hypothesis that the frog Lithodytes lineatus has skin-chemicals that imitate chemical- recognition used by the leaf-cutting Atta ants. We show that individuals of Lithodytes lineatus never suffered attack by the leaf-cutting Atta ants, while 100% of four other species of anurans were attacked. In addition, none of the 10 individuals of the frog Rhinella major coated with skin extracts of the frog L. lineatus suffered attack, whereas controls (coated with ultrapure water) were attacked on each occasion. We have demonstrated that the skin of the frog Lithodytes lineatus has chemicals that prevent attack by both species of leaf-cutting ants, Atta laevigata and Atta sexdens. / Mimetismo e camuflagem químicos são estratégias utilizadas por invertebrados parasitas de insetos sociais, mas o uso desta estratégia por vertebrados para evitar detecção por insetos sociais tem recebido pouca atenção. Aqui examinamos a hipótese de que a rã Lithodytes lineatus possui químicos na pele que imitam o reconhecimento químico usado pelas formigas cortadeiras Atta. Mostramos que indivíduos de Lithodytes lineatus não sofrem ataque pelas formigas Atta, enquanto 100% de quatro outras espécies de anuros foram atacados. Adicionalmente, nenhum dos 10 indivíduos do sapo Rhinella major embebidos com os extratos de pele da rã L. lineatus sofreu ataque, enquanto os controles (embebidos em água ultrapura) foram atacados em cada experimento. Nós demonstramos que a pele da rã Lithodytes lineatus possui substâncias químicas que previnem ataque de ambas as espécies de formigas cortadeiras, Atta laevigata e Atta sexdens.