Rediscovery of the rare Phrynomedusa appendiculata (Lutz, 1925) (Anura: Phyllomedusidae) from the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil.

The genus Phrynomedusa Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923 comprises rare and little known phyllomedusid species from southern Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Phrynomedusa appendiculata (Lutz, 1925) is known from three localities since its description and considered a lost species because it was last sighted 51 years ago. This pervasive lack of knowledge raised a significant concern about its threat status. Here, we present the rediscovery of P. appendiculata from a breeding population in the Atlantic Plateau forests of the state of So Paulo. This new record allowed the gathering of novel ecological, acoustic and morphological data for this species. Most of the novel data agreed with the variation historically reported for the species, but we found subtle divergences that we interpret as intraspecific variation. Moreover, this record also allowed a reassessment of geographic distribution of the species, and the first inference of its phylogenetic relationships based on molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA). The resulting phylogeny corroborated the generic placement and evolutionary distinctiveness of P. appendiculata, evidencing the species as sister to the clade P. marginata + P. dryade. Based on novel and historical data, we discuss some putative factors influencing the rarity of P. appendiculata and its congeners, and provide conservation perspectives. We expect that the novel data can support further assessments of threat status for this rare species, as well as initiatives aiming its conservation.

A new nurse frog of Allobates masniger-nidicola complex (Anura, Aromobatidae) from the east bank of Tapajós River, eastern Amazonia.

The small nurse frogs of the genus Allobates (Anura, Aromobatidae) represent one of the most challenging taxonomic issues of the Neotropics. During several amphibian surveys in the Middle Tapajós River region, state of Pará, Brazil, we collected phenotypic, ecological, and molecular data on species of this genus, leading to the identification of a new species included in the Allobates masniger-nidicola complex. The new species is characterized by a large body size (snout-vent length 19.2-21.7 mm in males and 19.3-22.0 mm in females), finger III not swollen in adult males; cryptic external coloration, with dorsum uniformly ochre; a dark brown lateral stripe and a pale cream ventrolateral stripe; limbs ranging from ochre to orange; throat and chest violaceous in males and yellowish in females. The advertisement call is usually arranged in bouts of four closely spaced notes, which we term 4-pulsed units of repetition (UR), 0.317 s long on average, followed by silent intervals, and an average dominant frequency of 4.163 kHz. The new species also has exotrophic tadpoles with a unique fin morphology, which begins after the body-tail insertion and is deeper posteriorly to half of the caudal length. Sequencing of the 16S and COI regions of the mitochondrial DNA show a genetic p-distance of approximately 6-10% compared to closely related congeners. We discuss the biogeography of the new species based on phylogenetic relationships of the species within the Allobates masniger-nidicola complex and the allopatric geographic distribution in relation to sister taxa. Functional characteristics and geographic restrictions make this species particularly sensitive to the increasing human impact in eastern Amazonia.

Haemogregarina spp. in a wild population from Podocnemis unifilis Troschel, 1848 in the Brazilian Amazonia.

The study objectives were to characterize the morphology of the parasitic forms and describe the prevalence and intensity of Haemogregarina spp. in a population of the turtle Podocnemis unifilis as well as to examine the relationships between parasitism and turtle variables such as gender, size, and weight. Samples were taken in the Tapajós and Jamanxim rivers, Itaituba, Pará state, Brazil. Blood was collected from the tail vein of 72 P. unifilis specimens, including 35 males, 36 females, and one unsexed juvenile. The prevalence of Haemogregarina spp. was 98% (n = 71). The mean parasite intensity of Haemogregarina spp. was 118 (1-582) parasites/2000 blood cells (6%). There was no significant difference in the mean parasite intensity between male (137.68 ± 121.8, n = 35) and female turtles (101.42 ± 123.59, n = 35). There was no relationship between parasite intensity and carapace length. Although the relationship between parasite intensity and host body weight was significant, the relationship was weak. This is the first study on Haemogregarina parasitism with a relatively high number of turtles in Brazil.

Review of the geographical distribution of the white-spotted frog Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885) (Anura, Microhylidae) / Revisão da distribuição do sapo-de-pintas-brancas Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885) (Anura, Microhylidae)

This paper presents a review of the geographical distribution of Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885), based on data from literature, scientific collections, and field notes. Our reviewing significantly enlarges the distribution of the species within the Brazilian territory, with new records for the states of Bahia, Maranhão, and Tocantins. Among all species of the genus, C. albopunctata can be considered the one with the widest latitudinal and altitudinal ranges, as well as greater environmental plasticity.

Este trabalho apresenta uma revisão da distribuição geográfica de Chiasmocleis albopunctata (Boettger, 1885), a partir de dados da literatura, coleções científicas e anotações em campo. Os dados aqui apresentados ampliam consideravelmente a distribuição da espécie dentro do território brasileiro, com novos registros para os estados da Bahia, Maranhão, Tocantins. Dentre todas as espécies do gênero, C. albopunctata pode ser considerada a espécie que apresenta maior variação altitudinal e latitudinal, bem como maior plasticidade ambiental.