Morphological variation, advertisement call, and tadpoles of Bokermannohyla nanuzae (Bokermann, 1973), and taxonomic status of B-feioi (Napoli &Caramaschi, 2004) (Anura, Hylidae, Cophomantini)

Abstract

Bokermannohyla nanuzae (Bokermann &Sazima 1973) and B. feioi (Napoli &Caramaschi 2004) belong to the B. circumdata species group. The type locality of the former is Serra do Cipo, Espinhaco mountain range, and of the latter is Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Mantiqueira mountain range, both in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Differences on dorsal drawing pattern of adults, oral disc morphology of tadpoles, and temporal properties of calls were proposed to distinguish these two species. However, several specimens found between the two type localities remain unidentified because diagnostic characters and states occur in all of these populations. Thus, in order to assess these characters variations, we performed an analysis of the morphology and morphometry of adults, vocalization, and morphology of tadpoles. Specimens were divided into three operational taxonomic units (OTUs): B. nanuzae (Serra do Cipo and northwards, Espinhaco mountain range), B. cf. nanuzae (Quadrilatero Ferrifero, Espinhaco mountain range, south of Serra do Cipo), and B. feioi (Serra do Ibitipoca, Mantiqueira mountain range). Drawing patterns of the dorsum and limbs show clinal variation and the three units are morphometrically very similar. Temporal and spectral properties of calls overlap in these three units. The diagnostic differences originally proposed for tadpoles are intrapopulational variations and occur in specimens from all of the locations analyzed. We found that these three units are morphologically indistinguishable. Therefore, we designate Bokermannohyla feioi (Napoli &Caramaschi 2004) as a junior synonym of Bokermannohyla nanuzae (Bokermann &Sazima 1973), extending its geographical distribution to the Mantiqueira mountain range.