Carlos Alberto Gonçalves Cruz

The phylogenetic relationships of the charismatic poster frogs, Phyllomedusinae (Anura, Hylidae)

The leaf or monkey frogs of the hylid subfamily Phyllomedusinae are a unique group of charismatic anurans. We present a molecular phylogenetic analysis that includes 45 of the 60 species of phyllomedusines using up to 12 genes and intervening tRNAs. The aims were to gain a better understanding of the phylogenetic position of Phrynomedusa, test the monophyly and explore the relationships among several putative lineages (Hylomantis, the H. buckleyi Group, Phasmahyla, the four species groups of Phyllomedusa, and the species of Phyllomedusa that remain unassigned to any group), and to examine the implications of our phylogeny for the evolution of several characters in phyllomedusines. The analyses resulted in a well‐supported phylogenetic hypothesis that provides a historical framework for a discussion of the evolution of characters associated with reproductive biology, gliding behaviour, the physiology of waterproofing, and bioactive peptides. Implications include an earlier origin for eggless capsules than for leaf‐folding behaviour during amplexus, two independent origins of gliding, and an earlier origin of reduction in evaporative water loss than uricotelism, which is a result that originally was predicted on the basis of physiology alone. Furthermore, our results support the prediction that bioactive peptides from different peptide families are to be expected in all species of Phyllomedusinae. Hylomantis (as recently redefined) is shown to be paraphyletic and the synonymy of Agalychnis is revised to remedy this problem by including both Hylomantis and Pachymedusa.

Hábitos alimentares de Enyalius perditus (Squamata, Leiosauridae) no Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, Minas Gerais, Brasil

The present study was carried out to describe the diet, and its variations according to food availability, in Enyalius perditus Jackson, 1978 from Parque Estadual do Ibitipoca, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Three areas were chosen in the forest fragments; pit falls and glue traps were used to capture lizards and their preys. Lizards (n=55) were dissected in order to analyze the stomach content. The Electivity Index showed that insect larvae were volumetrically important in the diet of E. perditus, while ants and woodlices where numerically important. The quantity of diet items have differed significantly between males and females, perhaps, as a consequence of the higher quantity of ants ingested by female lizards and larvae ingested by males lizards. Based upon alimentary behavior, the male lizards resemble the active forragers and the females sit and wait forragers.

The tadpole and advertisement call of Physalaemus aguirrei Bokermann, 1966 (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae)

The neotropical frog genus Physalaemus is currently composed of 41 valid species (Frost, 2002) arranged in four groups (Lynch, 1970). The Physalaemus cuvieri group is the most diversified, with 20 species occurring from northern to southern South America (Frost, 2002). Information about tadpoles of nine species and vocalizations of fifteen species of this group are available in literature (see Bokermann, 1962, 1966a, 1966b, 1967; Barrio, 1964, 1965; Langone, 1989; Heyer et al., 1990; Rossa-Feres and Jim, 1993; Duellman, 1997; Perroti, 1997; Cannatella et al., 1998; Tarano, 2001). However, Physalaemus aguirrei is a poorly known species of this group, occurring in the Atlantic Forest in the states of Espirito Santo and Bahia, Brazil (Van Sluys, 1998; Frost, 2002). According to Bokermann (1966a), this species can be found dwelling on the forest floor litter but breeds in temporary ponds in open habitats. Feio et al. (1999) pointed out that P. aguirrei, P. maximus, P. olfersii, and P. soaresi could compose a new species group, due to morphological similarities, and their forest breeding habits but they lacked necessary evidence to confirm this suggestion. Herein, we follow Lynch’s (1970) organisation of the P. cuvieri group. The purpose of this paper is to provide information on tadpole morphology, advertisement call structure and habitat of P. aguirrei.

A new species of Phasmahyla Cruz, 1990 (Anura: Hylidae) from the Atlantic Rain Forest of the States of Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil

A new species of the genus Phasmahyla is described from Atlantic Rain Forest fragments at the Fazenda Duas Barras, Municipality of Santa Maria do Salto, northeastern State of Minas Gerais, at the Reserva Particular do Patrimonio Natural (RPPN) Serra do Teimoso, Municipality of Jussari, and at the Fazenda Santa Cruz, Municipality of Arataca, southern State of Bahia, Brazil. The new species is recognized by its medium size for the genus (SVL 33.3 to 38.0 mm in males, 42.8 to 48.6 mm in females); purple drops on flanks and concealed surfaces of forearm, thigh, and digits; male with moderate nuptial pad of minuscule horny asperities on finger I; tympanum distinct only on ventral half; supratympanic fold weakly developed and visible only behind the tympanum; loreal region slightly obtuse; larval oral disc with distinct upper and second lower series of horny teeth; and second lower series of horny teeth slightly shorter than the upper one.

New Species of Phrynohyas from Atlantic Rain Forest of Southeastern Brazil (Anura, Hylidae)

Abstract A new species of hylid frog is described from south of the State of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil in Atlantic rain forest. The new species is a member of the genus Phrynohyas and is characterized by snout rounded in dorsal view and nearly truncate in lateral view, small adhesive disks, fingers slightly webbed, nasal bones widely separated, and frontoparietals without medial articulation.

Synonymy of Crossodactylus bokermanni Caramaschi & Sazima, 1985 with Crossodactylus trachystomus (Reinhardt & Lütken, 1862) and description of a new species from Minas Gerais, Brazil (Anura: Hylodidae)

The analysis of the external morphology variation in Crossodactylus bokermanni, C. trachystomus, and in unidentified specimens from 14 localities along the southern region of the Serra do Espinhaço, state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, revealed that all of these forms belong to the same taxon. Crossodactylus bokermanni is considered a junior synonym of C. trachystomus, whose holotype is redescribed and figured. The population from Serra da Canastra, western Minas Gerais, previously referred to as Crossodactylus cf. trachystomus, is herein described and figured as Crossodactylus franciscanus. Its advertisement call is redescribed and compared to those known for the genus.

A new species of Hatchet-faced Treefrog Sphaenorhynchus Tschudi (Anura: Hylidae) from Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil.

A new species of Sphaenorhynchus is described from the Municipality of Mariana, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is characterized by the vocal sac moderately developed, single, subgular, with longitudinal folds; white canthal and dorsolateral lines delimited below by a dorsolateral black line from the tip of snout extending beyond the eye to gradually disappearing up to the flanks; and premaxilla and maxilla almost completely edentulous, each bearing 1-5 extremely small teeth. It is most similar with Sphaenorhynchus orophilus, from which it can be distinguished by having a less robust forearm in males; glandular subcloacal dermal fold; premaxilla and maxilla almost completely edentulous; and larvae with large marginal papillae in the oral disc. The new species occurs in natural ponds over ironstone outcrops (known as canga) on flat terrain, where males call from the floating vegetation.

Molecular and morphological data reveal three new cryptic species of Chiasmocleis (Mehely 1904) (Anura, Microhylidae) endemic to the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Three new cryptic species of Chiasmocleis from the Atlantic Forest of Brazil are described. Two of these species occur in the northeastern states of Sergipe and Bahia, whereas the third species is found in the southeastern state of São Paulo. The new species can be distinguished from other congeneric species by the molecular data, as evidenced in the phylogeny, and by a combination of morphological characters including: size, foot webbing, dermal spines, and coloration patterns. Chiasmocleis species differ in osteological traits, therefore we also provide an osteological description of each new species and comparsions with data reported for other species in the genus.

Amphibia, Anura, Dendropsophus ruschii: Distribution extension, new state record, and geographic distribution map.

(Weygoldt & Peixoto, 1987) is a small sized hylid frog (snout-vent lenght 24.5-27.9 mm in males, 26.7-29.0 mm in females) described from Domingos Martins and Santa Teresa, state of Espirito Santo, southeastern Brazil, on elevations of approximately 800 m (Weygoldt and Peixoto 1987). The holotype of