Iguape Robber Frog

description

Color in preservative. Background color in preservative faints into different tones of gray and silver. Our observations of old-dated fixed specimens revealed that hidden surfaces become slightly opaque, maintaining the same colors, while patterns and bright colors disappear with time. In general, all specimens maintained the former pattern of blotches, dots, and stripes in all surfaces. Geographic distribution. Ischnocnema lactea is endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest biome, occurring in central portion of Serra do Mar, in the State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil. It inhabits mountainous forests at moderate altitudes, occurring from 700 – 1,120 m a. s. l. (Fig. 6). Coordinates of localities are provided in Appendix 2. Vocalization and acoustic comparisons. The advertisement call of Ischnocnema lactea consists on a single pulsed note (notes emitted in series in I. nigriventris and I. randorum), containing from eight to thirteen pulses (Fig. 7). The mean dominant frequency is 2418.9 ± 17.9 Hz (2239.5 – 2756.2 Hz, N = 24 notes). The mean note duration is 908 + 144 ms (634 – 1060, n = 24 notes). The mean of pulses per note is 10.45 + 1.10 (8 – 13, n = 24 notes), and note rate of 11.

On the taxonomy and natural history of the secretive Ischnocnema lactea (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923) (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Brachycephalidae)

description

Eleutherodactylus (Eleutherodactylus) lacteus — Lynch & Duellman 1997: 226 Ischnocnema lactea — Heinicke et al. 2007: 15; Hedges et al. 2008: 27 Lectotype. MZUSP 828; adult female, collected by Gustavo Edwall from the Municipality of Iguape, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The original description did not provide a date or specific sampling locality (see discussion for an analysis on the type locality). Bokermann (1966) designated the lectotype. Paralectotype. MZUSP 504; adult male of Ischnocnema parva (Girard 1853) from Campo Grande, Municipality of Santo André, State of São Paulo, Brazil. The paralectoype was designated by Bokermann (1966) and later redetermined by Heyer (1985) as Ischnocnema parva.

On the taxonomy and natural history of the secretive Ischnocnema lactea (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923) (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Brachycephalidae)

description

Redescription of the lectotype MZUSP 828. According to original description (Miranda-Ribeiro 1923), adult female from the Municipality of Iguape, State of São Paulo, Southeastern Brazil, collected by Gustavo Edwall. The specimen shows a moderate condition of preservation, having lost some general characters. The lectotype has a robust body, dorsum smooth, presenting very few small, scattered tubercles; flanks and ventral surfaces granular (bely and laterals) to very granular (cloacal region); skin translucent, with muscles seen by transparency mainly on arms and legs. Venter almost entirely open with organs exposed; pectoral and abdominal folds indistinct. Head slightly longer than wide, head length 37 % of SVL; snout acuminate in lateral view and subovoid in dorsal; upper jaw show a large medial cut, and projects beyond lower jaw; large eyes, anterolaterally oriented; pupil horizontal and elliptical; translucent palpebral membrane, faintly pigmented on edge; both eyelids present some tuberculation mainly on edges; tympanum moderately distinct, with membrane hidden beneath skin and annulus evident only ventrally; supratympanic fold poorly developed, probably shabby; three medium to

On the taxonomy and natural history of the secretive Ischnocnema lactea (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923) (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Brachycephalidae)

diagnosis

Diagnosis. Ischnocnema lactea is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: (1) large-sized species (among I. lactea species), with adult males SVL 19.6 – 26.7 mm; X = 23.3. ± 2.4 mm; N = 18; adult females SVL 27.6 – 34.3 mm; X = 30.2 ± 2.5 mm; N = 10; (2) dorsum, lateral, and gular region rugose with several scattered tubercles; (3) venter moderately granular; (4) head longer than wide; (5) snout rounded in dorsal view; (6) tip of snout obtuse in lateral view; (7) eyelid tubercles oval, well-developed; (8) vomerine process present, bearing prevomerine odontoids; (9) vocal sac single, subgular, externally expanded; (10) ungual flap present, disks expanded and indented, T-shaped, truncate in fingers II – IV; (11) double glandular nuptial pad; (12) toes relative length I <II <III <V <IV; (13) calcar tubercle present, moderate; (14) in life, iris varying from golden to lemonyellowish, with a medial reddish band crossing the black pupil; (15) in life, hidden areas of inguinal region, thighs, shanks, and tarsus show a large array of patterns and bright colors; (16) aforementioned bright colors may appear on marbled pattern in a dark background; (17) black blotch on cloacal re

On the taxonomy and natural history of the secretive Ischnocnema lactea (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923) (Anura: Brachycephaloidea: Brachycephalidae)