Predator Becomes Prey: Records of Intraguild Predation Between Velvet Worms (Onychophora) and Arthropods (Arthropoda) With an Expanded Review of Predation on Velvet Worms

ABSTRACT

From 3954 citizen‐science observations screened, we report novel cases of predation by omnivorous arthropods on velvet worms, including the first confirmed records for harvestmen and a cave wētā. Using photographic evidence derived from citizen‐science observations, we document multiple predation events involving harvestmen (Opiliones: Cranaidae and Triaenonychidae) and a cave wētā (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae), encompassing both intraguild predation and higher‐order opportunistic predation within cryptic terrestrial habitats. These interactions represent previously undocumented trophic links between phylogenetically distant lineages and expand the known repertoire of omnivorous arthropods as predators of onychophorans. Our findings document a previously unrecorded vulnerability in Onychophora, a group traditionally regarded as specialized predators defended by an adhesive slime system, and underscore the trophic flexibility of arthropod predators operating within leaf‐litter and subterranean ecosystems. Collectively, these observations document previously unrecorded trophic links in cryptic environments and illustrate the value of natural history data and citizen‐science platforms for detecting rarely documented interactions.