A review of the elusive bicolored iris Snouted Treefrogs (Anura: Hylidae:Scinax uruguayus group)

Abstract

The genus Scinax currently includes more than 120 species, recovered in two major clades, the S. catharinae and the S. ruber clades. The latter comprises 75 species, most of which remain unassigned to any species groups, while 12 are included in the S. rostratus and S. uruguayus groups. In this paper we present a taxonomic review of the two species currently included in the S. uruguayus group, discussing some putative phenotypic synapomorphies of this group. Although S. pinima and S. uruguayus have been considered as distinct species, this has been based on scant evidence, and several authors doubted of their distinctiveness. Our study of available specimens of S. pinima and S. uruguayus corroborates that both are valid and diagnosable species based on phenotypic evidence. Furthermore, our results show that S. pinima previously known only from its type locality, has a much widespread distribution than previously thought (including the Brazilian states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul), which, added to the biological information presented here allows to suggest the removal of this species from the “Data Deficient” IUCN Red List category to “Least Concern”. Also, we describe a new species formerly reported as S. aff. pinima and S. uruguayus from NE Argentina and some localities from the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul. All species are diagnosed and characterized using adult and larval morphology, osteology, vocalizations, cytogenetics, and natural history.

A new species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura, Odontophrynidae) of the P. bigibbosa species group from Southern Brazil

“…Similarly to other species within this group, the new species also occurs in open formations in ecotone areas with subtropical forests (Giaretta and Sazima 1993;Kwet and Faivovich 2001;Caldart et al 2010). The geographical distribution of P. bigibbosa species group is similar to those reported for the genus Julianus that include a disjunct gap of J. pinima, i.e., a northern relictual distribution associated to rock outcrops of the Espinhaço Mountain Range of Minas Gerais state, and a southern distribution along the highland grasslands of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul states (Baldo et al 2019). In South Brazil, there is open formations along different vegetational ecotones.…”

A neotype for Hyla x-signata Spix, 1824 (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae)

“…The hidden surfaces of thighs dark colored with light irregular pale blotches, yellow in living specimens differentiate Scinax x-signatus from S. altae, S. auratus, S. baumgardneri, S. boesemani, S. cretatus, S. crospedospilus, S. cruentomma, S. cuspidatus, S. danae, S. elaeochroa, S. exiguus, S. fuscomarginatus, S. ictericus, S. iquitorum, S. madeirae, S. manriquei, S. pachycrus, S. ruberoculatus, S. staufferi, S. strussmannae, S. squalirostris, S. tsachila, S. villasboasi, S. wandae, and species of the S. uruguayus Group (hidden surfaces of thighs uniform, light or dark colored; e.g., Rivero, 1961;Duellman, 1970Duellman, , 1986Lutz, 1973;De la Riva, 1990;Duellman & Wiens, 1993;Barrio-Amorós et al, 2004;Nunes & Pombal, 2011;Brusquetti et al, 2014;Ferrão et al, 2018a, b;Ron et al, 2018;Baldo et al, 2019; this study), S. funereus, S. onca, and S. iquitorum (hidden surfaces of thighs with horizontal or irregular dark blotches; Duellman, 1971;Ferrão et al, 2017;Moravec et al, 2009; this study), and from species of the S. rostratus Group (hidden surfaces of thighs uniform light or marked with bold dark and light mottling or broad vertical bars; Duellman, 1972aDuellman, , 1973Henle, 1991;Lescure & Marty, 2000;Lima et al, 2005; this study).…”

“…Scinax currently includes 125 species in two major clades, the S. catharinae and the S. ruber Clades (species number from Frost, 2020; taxonomy of Scinaxini as recognized by Faivovich et al, 2018). The latter clade includes 75 species; three in the S. uruguayus species Group (Faivovich et al, 2005;Baldo et al, 2019), 10 in the S. rostratus species Group (Lima et al, 2005), and 62 unassigned to any species group. These are mostly the result of a phylogenetic analysis (Faivovich, 2002) that rejected the monophyly of most species groups recognized at that time for the species now included in the S. ruber Clade.…”

Anurans From Iguazú National Park and Buffer Area (Argentina): Review of Species List and Ecological Notes on the Leaf-Litter Assemblages

“…The current number of 32 anuran species of Iguazú National Park and surrounding buffer area is remarkable and represents approximately 52% of the species of anurans from Misiones Province, and 18% of the anurans from Argentina (Vaira et al, 2012;Cardoso & Pereyra, 2018, Baldo et al, 2019. Research in other protected areas of Misiones reported 15 species of anurans 8 km apart from INP (López & Kubisch, 2008), 21 species 110 km apart from INP (López & Nazer, 2009), 20 species 45 km apart from INP (Lescano et al, 2013) and recently Gangenova et al, (2018) reported 18 species in the native forest of the INP and the Urugua-í Provincial Park -adjacent to INP.…”