Elucidating the reticulate connections and pathways of energy flow within complex terrestrial food webs can improve our understanding of ecosystem-level processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. The aboveground portion of a temperate forest food web is composed of two relatively distinct subwebs, the grazing (plant-based) web and the leaf-litter (detritus-based) web. Litter-dwelling generalist predators, such as spiders, may constitute potentially important links between the grazing and leaf-litter webs via consumption of herbivorous prey in addition to detritivores. We tested the hypothesis that large, litter-dwelling predatory arthropods can mediate energy flow between the grazing and leaf-litter subwebs of a temperate deciduous forest using stable isotope analysis. Generalist predators, microbi-detritivores and herbivores were collected from undisturbed areas of the forest floor and understory vegetation in an Appalachian oak-hickory forest. Stable isotope analysis (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) was used to examine the strength of connections between predators and prey derived from the grazing vs. detrital webs, and to establish relative trophic positions of all fauna. Species-specific differences in predator δ¹³C values indicated variation in utilization of resources from the grazing web amongst the ground predator community.