Rediscovery and re-description of Ischnocnema nigriventris (Lutz, 1925) (Anura: Terrarana: Brachycephalidae)

Abstract

Besides its brief original description in 1925 and information provided by one specimen collected in the 1980s, nothing else is known for Ischnocnema nigriventris (Lutz, 1925). Also, the poor preservation of the type series has hindered the association of this name with any known population of Ischnocnema. Fieldwork in Bertioga municipality, state of São Paulo, Brazil, revealed a population of Ischnocnema to which we were able to apply the name Ischnocnema nigriventris. We report this rediscovery, re-describe the species on the basis of the newly found specimens, and describe its mating call. Ischnocnema nigriventris is allocated to the Ischnocnema lactea species series and we propose a diagnosis based on a combination of morphological character states. The species is diagnosed by prominent conical tubercles on the upper eyelid, inguinal region and hidden areas of the hind limbs with yellow mottling in males and orange mottling in females, and by its advertisement call composed of two to four non-pulsed notes, the first one differentiated from the others by its lower intensity and different frequency. Ischnocnema nigriventris is only known from Parque das Neblinas (Bertioga municipality), Paranapiacaba (Santo André municipality), and Boracéia (Salesópolis municipality), localities in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Molecular phylogeny of Ischnocnema (Anura: Brachycephalidae) with the redefinition of its series and the description of two new species

“…Some species lack the pad, yet for others its presence is unknown. It can be large and conspicuous, as in the members of the I. parva, I. guentheri, and I. venancioi series, and also I. surda (member of the I. verrucosa series; Brusquetti et al, 2013;Taucce et al, 2018; this study); minute, as in I. randorum (Heyer, 1985); faint and translucent, as in I. karst, I. nigriventris, and I. vizottoi (Martins and Haddad, 2010;Berneck et al, 2013); and even reduced to some white granules as in I. holti (Targino and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2008). The nuptial pad is absent from the remaining species of the I. verrucosa series (Hedges et al, 2008), from I. melanopygia and I. spanios, of the I. lactea series (Heyer, 1985;Targino et al, 2009), from I. manezinho (Garcia, 1996), from I. nanahallux (Brusquetti et al, 2013), and from I. sambaqui (Castanho and Haddad, 2000).…”

“…Expanded tips of fingers II-IV and large truncated discs of fingers III and IV distinguish I. hoehnei from members of the I. parva series, I. nanahallux (tips of fingers not expanded in these species; Hedges et al, 2008;Brusquetti et al, 2013), and members of the I. verrucosa series (disks small or moderately-sized in these species; Hedges et al, 2008;. The large, conspicuous, glandular-appearing nuptial pad differentiates I. hoehnei from I. manezinho, I. sambaqui, I. nanahallux, and the members of the I. lactea (minute nuptial pad in I. randorum; translucent in I. nigriventris and I. vizottoi; reduced to some white granules in I. holti; absent in I. melanopygia and I. spanios; unknown in other species ;Heyer, 1985;Hedges et al, 2008;Targino and Carvalhoe-Silva, 2008;Berneck et al, 2013) and I. verrucosa series (except for I. surda; faint, translucent nuptial pad in I. karst; absent in other species; Hedges et al, 2008;. The mask-like stripe starting at the tip of the snout or the nostril, contouring the canthus rostralis, passing through the eye, contouring the dorsal portion of the tympanum, and finishing near arm insertion distinguishes I. hoehnei from I. manezinho, I. sambaqui, and the members of the I. guentheri, I. lactea, and I. verrucosa series (mask-like stripe usually absent in these species; when present it does not pass through the eye).…”

“…The large, conspicuous, glandular-appearing nuptial pad differentiates I. parnaso sp. nov. from I. manezinho, I. sambaqui, I. nanahallux, and the members of the I. lactea (minute nuptial pad in I. randorum; translucent in I. nigriventris and I. vizottoi; reduced to some white granules in I. holti; absent in I. melanopygia and I. spanios; unknown in other species ;Heyer, 1985;Hedges et al, 2008;Targino and Carvalho-e-Silva, 2008;Berneck et al, 2013) and I. verrucosa series (except for I. surda; faint, translucent nuptial pad in I. karst; absent in other species; Hedges et al, 2008;. The mask-like stripe starting at the tip of the snout or the nostril, contouring the canthus rostralis, passing through the eye, contouring the dorsal portion of the tympanum and reaching near arm insertion distinguishes I. parnaso sp.…”

Herpetofauna of Paranapiacaba: expanding our knowledge on a historical region in the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil

“…The species is underrepresented in scientific collections and, because it had an ill-defined type series there used to be a lot of confusion about its identification until it was recently redescribed (BERNECK et al 2013). Based on the pattern of dark and light blotches on the venter and inner portions of the thighs, enlarged distal discs on external fingers and toes, dorsal and palpebrous tubercles, and a prominent calcar tubercle (HEYER 1985, HEYER et al 1990, POMBAL & CRUZ 1999, BERNECK et al 2013 we recognize the population collected in the present study as Ischnocnema nigriventris.…”

The amphibians of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: an updated and commented list

“…Since then, Berneck et al (2013) have reviewed the species based on the existing syntypes and on newly collected material, concluding that I. nigriventris occurs only in the state of São Paulo. Berneck et al (2013) argue that the record from Itatiaia was based on a specimen that is presently lost, and apparently not conspecific with the remaining syntypes (as previously suggested by Heyer, 1985). Thus, we herein remove this species from the list of amphibians occurring in the state of Rio de Janeiro.…”