The First Bromeligenous Species of Dendropsophus (Anura: Hylidae) from Brazil's Atlantic Forest

Another new species (and its not over yet) of Phyllodytes Wagler, 1930 (Anura, Hylidae) from the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, northeastern Brazil

The genus Phyllodytes, endemic to the Atlantic Forest, stands out for its life cycle being closely associated with bromeliads. Since the 2000s, the number of species in the group has more than doubled and the number is still increasing, a fact proven here with the description of Phyllodytes iuna sp. nov. This species, herein described using morphological and molecular evidence, is endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, in the northern portion of the Atlantic Forest Central Corridor. Phyllodytes iuna differs from both its sister species and most of its congeners by the color pattern on the dorsum and by the presence of a single tubercle in the tibiotarsal region. The genetic distance for a fragment of the 16S gene ranged from 4.4% to 5.0% between Phyllodytes iuna and its sister species (P. brevirostris and P. edelmoi), and from 5.8% to 14.2% with its congeners. The description of a new species of Phyllodytes serves as a reminder that our understanding of the groups diversity is far from complete. Despite the alarming rates of deforestation, the Atlantic Forest continues to hold significant untapped potential for unexplored biodiversity.

The phylogeny of the Casque-headed Treefrogs (Hylidae: Hylinae: Lophyohylini)

The South American and West Indian Casque-headed Treefrogs (Hylidae: Hylinae: Lophyohylini) include 85 species. These are notably diverse in morphology (e.g. disparate levels of cranial hyperossification) and life history (e.g. different reproductive modes, chemical defences), have a wide distribution, and occupy habitats from the tropical rainforests to semiarid scrubland. In this paper, we present a phylogenetic analysis of this hylid tribe based on sequence fragments of up to five mitochondrial (12S, 16S, ND1, COI, Cytb) and six nuclear genes (POMC, RAG-1, RHOD, SIAH, TNS3, TYR). We included most of its species (> 96%), in addition to a number of new species. Our results indicate: (i) the paraphyly of Trachycephalus with respect to Aparasphenodon venezolanus; (ii) the nonmonophyly of Aparasphenodon, with Argenteohyla siemersi, Corythomantis galeata and Nyctimantis rugiceps nested within it, and Ap. venezolanus nested within Trachycephalus; (iii) the polyphyly of Corythomantis; (iv) the nonmonophyly of the recognized species groups of Phyllodytes; and (v) a pervasive low support for the deep relationships among the major clades of Lophyohylini, including C. greeningi and the monotypic genera Itapotihyla and Phytotriades. To remedy the nonmonophyly of Aparasphenodon, Corythomantis, and Trachycephalus, we redefined Nyctimantis to include Aparasphenodon (with the exception of Ap. venezolanus, which we transferred to Trachycephalus), Argenteohyla, and C. galeata. Additionally, our results indicate the need for taxonomic work in the following clades: (i) Trachycephalus dibernardoi and Tr. imitatrix; (ii) Tr. atlas, Tr. mambaiensis and Tr. nigromaculatus; and (iii) Phyllodytes. On the basis of our phylogenetic results, we analyzed the evolution of skull hyperossification and reproductive biology, with emphasis on the multiple independent origins of phytotelm breeding, in the context of Anura. We also analyzed the inter-related aspects of chemical defences, venom delivery, phragmotic behaviour, co-ossification, and prevention of evaporative water loss.

The phylogeny of Dendropsophini (Anura: Hylidae: Hylinae)

The relationships of the hyline tribe Dendropsophini remain poorly studied, with most published analyses dealing with few of the species groups of Dendropsophus. In order to test the monophyly of Dendropsophini, its genera, and the species groups currently recognized in Dendropsophus, we performed a total evidence phylogenetic analysis. The molecular dataset included sequences of three mitochondrial and five nuclear genes from 210 terminals, including 12 outgroup species, the two species of Xenohyla, and 93 of the 108 recognized species of Dendropsophus. The phenomic dataset includes 46 terminals, one per species (34 Dendropsophus, one Xenohyla, and 11 outgroup species). Our results corroborate the monophyly of Dendropsophini and the reciprocal monophyly of Dendropsophus and Xenohyla. Some species groups of Dendropsophus are paraphyletic (the D. microcephalus, D. minimus, and D. parviceps groups, and the D. rubicundulus clade). On the basis of our results, we recognize nine species groups; for three of them (D. leucophyllatus, D. microcephalus, and D. parviceps groups) we recognize some nominal clades to highlight specific morphology or relationships and facilitate species taxonomy. We further discuss the evolution of oviposition site selection, where our results show multiple instances of independent evolution of terrestrial egg clutches during the evolutionary history of Dendropsophus.

A new species of the Dendropsophus decipiens Group (Anura: Hylidae) from Northeastern Brazil

We describe a new species of the Dendropsophus decipiens Group, morphologically most resembling D. haddadi but genetically more closely related to D. oliveirai and likely endemic from the Atlantic Forest biome, northeastern Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from all species of the D. decipiens Group based on the combination of morphological features, advertisement call and phylogenetic position based on mitochondrial DNA gene sequences. The new species emits simple calls in series of 3-9 notes, each with 9-29 pulses, and dominant frequency varying from 5578-6422 Hz, and exhibit a minimum of 8% genetic distance (16S mitochondrial gene) in comparison to its congeners. The new taxa represent the sixth species of the D. decipiens Group, which likely harbors more undescribed taxa, corroborating the view that Neotropical species richness is fairly underestimated.

JP, Rocha CFD. Amphibians of Serra das Torres Natural Monument: a reservoir of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Abstract The Brazilian Atlantic Forest holds a major part of the country’s amphibian species richness and high rates of endemism. In this study, we conducted surveys using the Rapid Assessment (RA) method to sample the amphibian fauna of the Serra das Torres Natural Monument (MONAST), an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. We sampled actively with a 6-10-person team to collect standard samples from 09:00 to 12:00 hours for the daytime period, and from 18:00 to 22:00 hours for the crepuscular/nighttime period, with a total of approximately 1,320 hours of sampling effort. We supplemented these data with 720 hours of passive sampling, using pitfall traps with drift fences (30 bucket-days). We recorded 54 amphibian species (two gymnophionans and 52 anurans), and the species richness estimated by the Bootstrap method indicates that a slightly larger number of species (n = 60) may occur in the study area. The most speciose family was Hylidae (n = 21), followed by Brachycephalidae (n = 8). Overall, 25% of the species (n = 13) were recorded only once (singletons) and 15% (n = 8) only twice (doubletons). Most amphibians recorded in this study (71%, n = 37 species) were restricted to the Atlantic Forest biome, two species (Euparkerella robusta and Luetkenotyphlus fredi) are endemic to the Espírito Santo state, and one of them, the leaf litter species E. robusta, is endemic to the MONAST. Euparkerella robusta is currently listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN and is classified as Critically Endangered in the Espírito Santo State red list, while L. fredi has yet to be evaluated due to its recent description. Thoropa lutzi is currently listed as Endangered (EN) by both the IUCN and in the State list. Nine species are listed as Data Deficient (DD) and populations of 13 species are considered to be declining by the IUCN. We extend the geographical distribution of two anuran species (Hylodes babax and Phasmahyla lisbella) and fill an important gap in the distribution of Siphonops hardyi. Amphibians associated with the forest floor represented 42% of the species richness from MONAST, and 43% of these species inhabit the leaf litter exclusively. Our study revealed that Serra das Torres preserves a considerable diversity of Atlantic Forest amphibians, which reinforces the need for the conservation of this forest remnant.

Specialized breeding in plants affects diversification trajectories in Neotropical frogs

Many animals breed exclusively in plants that accumulate rainwater (phytotelma; e.g., bromeliad, bamboo, fruit husk, and tree hole), to which they are either physiologically or behaviorally specialized for this microhabitat. Of the numerous life-history modes observed in frogs, few are as striking or potentially consequential as the transition from pond- or stream-breeding to the deposition of eggs or larvae in phytotelmata. Such specialization can increase offspring survivorship due to reduced competition and predation, representing potential ecological opportunity for adaptive radiation, yet few lineages of phytotelma-breeding frogs appear to have diversified extensively after such a transition, at least in the New World. We use a phylogeny of Neotropical frogs and data on breeding microhabitat to understand the evolutionary transitions involved with specialized phytotelma-breeding. First, we find that phytotelma-breeding is present in at least 168 species in 10 families of frogs. Across the phylogeny, we estimate 14 origins of phytotelma-breeding and 115 reversals, showing that phytotelma-breeding is a highly labile character. Second, phytotelma-breeding lineages overall have higher net diversification than nonphytotelma-breeding ones. This specialization represents an ecological opportunity resulting in increased diversification in most families with phytotelma-breeding lineages, whereas phytotelma-breeding toads have restricted diversification histories.

Diet of Crossodactylus timbuhy (Anura: Hylodidae) in the Reserva Biológica Augusto Ruschi, state of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract: Anurans are predator and prey, playing an important role in ecosystem functioning. The diet composition is closely related to feeding strategy, and the information about prey items is useful to understand intra and interspecific interactions in trophic webs. Here we determined diet composition, feeding strategy, and relation between prey ingestion and body measures of Crossodactylus timbuhy, a recently described anuran species. We found 466 prey items from 20 prey categories in the stomach of 66 specimens (15 males and 51 females) of C. timbuhy. The diet consists mostly of Formicidae and Coleoptera, the items with the highest number, frequency of occurrence and prey importance. The diet composition was relatively similar to other species of Crossodactylus. Prey volume was positively related to frog size and weight, suggesting frogs may feed upon any prey they can swallow. Diet showed some variation between sexes. Despite females were larger and heavier than males, females had higher consumption of smaller prey, and ingested a larger number of prey categories. We suggest C. timbuhy has an invertebrate-opportunistic feeding habit. It is likely C. timbuhy uses a combination of ‘sit-and-wait’ and ‘active search’ strategies due to high consumption of both highly mobile and sedentary prey.

Amphibians of Santa Teresa, Brazil: the hotspot further evaluated

A checklist of the amphibians of Santa Teresa municipality, in southeastern Brazil is presented based on fieldwork, examination of specimens in collections, and a literature review. This new amphibian list of Santa Teresa includes 108 species, of which 106 (~98%) belong to Anura and two (~2%) to Gymnophiona. Hylidae was the most represented family with 47 species (43%). Compared to the previous amphibian lists for Santa Teresa, 14 species were added, 17 previously reported species were removed, and 13 species were re-identified based on recent taxonomic rearrangements. Of the 14 species added, 11 (79%) were first recorded during our fieldwork and specimen examination. It is also the first list of caecilians for Santa Teresa. This list suggests that Santa Teresa has 0.16 species per km² (i.e., 108 species/683 km²), one of the highest densities of amphibian species in the world at a regional scale. This richness represents 78% of the 136 anurans from Espírito Santo state and 10% of the 1,080 amphibians from Brazil. We highlight the need for long-term monitoring to understand population trends and develop effective conservation plans to safeguard this remarkable amphibian richness.

Amphibians of the Reserva Ecológica Michelin: a high diversity site in the lowland Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia, Brazil

An inventory of the amphibians of the Reserva Ecológica Michelin – REM in southern Bahia, Brazil is presented. Sixty-nine species were recorded during a ten-year sampling period. Amphibians were distributed in two orders (Gymnophiona and Anura), belonging to twelve families [Aromobatidae (1), Bufonidae (3), Centrolenidae (1), Craugastoridae (5), Eleutherodactylidae (3), Hemiphractidae (2), Hylidae (34), Phyllomedusidae (5) Leptodactylidae (7), Microhylidae (4), Odontophrynidae (3) and Caeciliidae (1)]. Fifty per cent of the reproductive modes known for Atlantic forest anurans were recorded. While no threatened species were found at REM, six species are classified as data deficient (DD) by the Brazilian Red List of threatened species and deserve additional attention. Phasmahylatimbo and Vitreoranaeurygnatha are listed as endangered in Bahia according to the list of threatened species of the state. Despite a higher diversity of amphibians in the Atlantic forest having been reported for mountainous regions, our results revealed that amphibian richness for lowland forests is also high.

The 100th: An appealing new species of Dendropsophus (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae) from northeastern Brazil

We describe a new species of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus Group from the Atlantic Forest of the southern region of State of Bahia, Brazil. It can be distinguished from all species of the D. leucophyllatus Group on the basis of morphological characters (especially its unique dorsal pattern and snout in dorsal view), advertisement calls and divergence in mitochondrial DNA gene sequences. The inclusion of D. anceps on the group remains controversial but our phylogenetic analyses do not recover the new species as sister to syntopic species of the D. leucophyllatus Group (with or without D. anceps). These results also highlight the palimpsest that is past relation between the Atlantic and Amazon forests.

Systematics of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species complex (Anura: Hylidae): Cryptic diversity and the description of two new species

Genetic data in studies of systematics of Amazonian amphibians frequently reveal that purportedly widespread single species in reality comprise species complexes. This means that real species richness may be significantly higher than current estimates. Here we combine genetic, morphological, and bioacoustic data to assess the phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries of two Amazonian species of the Dendropsophus leucophyllatus species group: D. leucophyllatus and D. triangulum. Our results uncovered the existence of five confirmed and four unconfirmed candidate species. Among the confirmed candidate species, three have available names: Dendropsophus leucophyllatus, Dendropsophus triangulum, and Dendropsophus reticulatus, this last being removed from the synonymy of D. triangulum. A neotype of D. leucophyllatus is designated. We describe the remaining two confirmed candidate species, one from Bolivia and another from Peru. All confirmed candidate species are morphologically distinct and have much smaller geographic ranges than those previously reported for D. leucophyllatus and D. triangulum sensu lato. Dendropsophus leucophyllatus sensu stricto occurs in the Guianan region. Dendropsophus reticulatus comb. nov. corresponds to populations in the Amazon basin of Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru previously referred to as D. triangulum. Dendropsophus triangulum sensu stricto is the most widely distributed species; it occurs in Amazonian Ecuador, Peru and Brazil, reaching the state of Pará. We provide accounts for all described species including an assessment of their conservation status.

Jumping into a trap: high prevalence of chytrid fungus in the preferred microhabitats of a bromeliad-specialist frog

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been identified as a major threat to several amphibian populations in tropical forests. Amphibians that inhabit the phytotelmata (water tanks) of bromeliads may be especially at risk of Bd infection since the humid, environmentally buffered microhabitat that they prefer might also be favorable for Bd persistence on the host. To test this hypothesis, we sampled adults and tadpoles of the bromeligenous anuran Phyllodytes edelmoi (endemic to the northern Brazilian Atlantic Forest) from the bromeliad Portea leptantha for Bd, using qPCR. We also analyzed 8 bromeliad characteristics: water tank temperature and pH, canopy closure, tank diameter, number of leaves, bromeliad maximum column depth to store water, bromeliad relative volume, and season. Adult frogs preferentially selected bromeliads with a smaller diameter, more leaves and a relatively higher volume of water. We found that Bd was more prevalent in frogs inhabiting bromeliad phytotelmata with smaller diameters, suggesting that the behavioral preferences of P. edelmoi may be driving Bd infection patterns. Therefore, species such as P. edelmoi will be trapped by their own natural history traits.