Contribution to the knowledge of the diet of larvae and adults of Salamandrina perspicillata

Data on trophic habits of S. perspicillata are based on the analysis of the stomach content of 122 larvae and of 124 fecal pellets from adults, collected from seven sites in Central Italy. Larvae fed mainly on Branchiopoda, Ostracoda and larval Diptera, but also on terrestrial Aphididae, probably fallen into the water. They are active foragers and generalist feeders, even if they show a certain degree of site-specialization on unique taxa. The vast majority of prey items in the fecal pellets from adult salamanders belong to Arachnida and Insecta. The occurrence of prey in fecal pellets did not differ between either the study sites or seasons.