Felipe Sá Fortes Leite

Peptidomic dissection of the skin secretion of Phasmahyla jandaia (Bokermann and Sazima, 1978) (Anura, Hylidae, Phyllomedusinae).

The systematic investigation of the peptidic composition of the skin secretion of Phasmahyla jandaia, a phyllomedusine anuran endemic to the southern region of the Espinhaço range in Brazil, is herein reported. By means of de novo interpretation of tandem mass spectrometric data, Edman N-terminal sequencing and similarity searches, 57 peptides - including phylloseptins, dermaseptins stricto sensu, dermatoxins, hyposins, tryptophyllins, caerulein-related, bradykinin-related, bradykinin potentiating, tyrosine-rich, and opioid peptides - were sequenced. Moreover, five peptide families without significant similarity to other known molecules were verified. Differently from most Phyllomedusinae genera, the molecular diversity in the skin of representatives of Phasmahyla remained unprospected until now. Therefore, besides disclosing novel natural variants of number of bioactive peptides, the present study contributes to the understanding of the evolution of biochemical characters of the phyllomedusines.

A New Species of Bokermannohyla from the Espinhaço Range, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

Abstract A new species of the Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis group similar to B. alvarengai and B. itapoty is described from Serra do Cabral, Espinhaço Range, Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. It is diagnosed by having a medium size (male 47.3–54.8 mm; female 44.5–48.6 mm); short snout, truncate in lateral and dorsal views; head 1.01–1.07 times wider than long; tympanum 0.08–0.09 times snout–vent length (SVL); hypertrophied forearm; well-developed prepollex; nuptial pad small, with two separate areas covered with small keratinized spiculae, on medial and lateral edge of the base of the prepollex; dorsal color pattern composed of dark gray blotches of irregular shape on a light gray background, without a central light spot, resembling lichens incrusted on rocks; dark gray perpendicular bars covering the whole dorsal surface of thighs, rarely branched, without light spots, highly contrasted with the background color; and the lack of a white stripe over the vent.

A New Species of the Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis Group from the Espinhaço Range, Central Bahia, Brazil (Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract We describe a new species of the Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis group from Chapada Diamantina, Espinhaço Range, central Bahia, northeastern Brazil. It is characterized by the following combination of traits: male snout–vent length (SVL) 60.0 ± 3.3 (51.9–65.3 mm, n = 14); female SVL (60.2–61.6 mm, n = 2); short snout, rounded in dorsal view, rounded to truncate in lateral view; head 1.07 ± 0.04 (1.01–1.14 mm, n = 14) times wider than long; tympanum diameter 0.07 ± 0.01 (0.06–0.08 mm, n = 14) times SVL; macroscopically evident glandular tissue irregularly distributed on the mental area; hypertrophied forearm; well-developed prepollex; nuptial pad between the distal free section of the prepollex and the base of finger I; dorsum light gray to light brown (background) with irregular-shaped brown marbled blotches (without a central light spot) formed by small dark brown dots; in life, small yellow dots on upper and lower lips, eyelids, loreal and gular regions, supratympanic fold, fingers, arms, forearms, flanks, feet, tibiae, thighs, and cloacal region.

A New Species of Ischnocnema (Anura) from the São Francisco Basin Karst Region, Brazil

Abstract We describe a new species of Ischnocnema from the municipality of Arcos, in the karst region of the upper Rio São Francisco basin, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new species is diagnosed by the possession of a W-shaped mark on the back, at the level of the shoulder, with one tubercle at each posterior point, red iris in life, and moderate-sized discs on fingers III and IV. These characteristics resemble those of Ischnocnema manezinho and I. sambaqui (from the I. lactea series) but also that from the species in the I. verrucosa series. Resumo Uma nova espécie de Ischnocnema é descrita, procedente do Município de Arcos, região cárstica do alto curso da bacia do rio São Francisco, Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A nova espécie é diagnosticada por apresentar uma marca em forma de W entre os ombros, com um tubérculo em cada uma das bases; íris vermelha em vida; discos com tamanhos moderados nos dedos III e IV. Tais características assemelham-se às apresentadas por I. manezinho e I. sambaqui (da série de I. lactea), mas também àquelas apresentadas pelas espécies da série de I. verrucosa.

Amphibia, Bokermannohyla nanuzae, Scinax curicica, Leptodactylus camaquara , Physalaemus evangelistai , and Proceratophrys cururu : Distribution extensions

During field expeditions to Parque Estadual do Rio Preto (18o07’ S 43o20’ W; 700-1826 m), Municipality of São Gonçalo do Rio Preto, central Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil, we registered five anuran amphibian species, which represent a significant range extension northward at Serra do Espinhaço Mountain Range. Herein, we report a range extension of ca. 125 km northward for Bokermannohyla nanuzae, Leptodactylus camaquara, Physalaemus evangelistai, and Proceratophrys cururu, which are only known from their type localities at Serra do Cipó (a local denomination for a southern portion of Serra do Espinhaço), Jaboticatubas (Municipality of Santana do Riacho at present time), State of Minas Gerais, at altitudes varying between 1200 and 1400 m (ca. 19o17’ S 43o35 ́ W) (Frost 2004), and for Scinax curicica, that is also known from the vicinities of Serra do Caraça, Municipalities of Catas Altas and Santa Bárbara, State of Minas Gerais (20°05’S 43°29’W) (Pugliese et al. 2004). Voucher specimens are deposited in the Herpetological Collection of the Museu de Ciências Naturais da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil (MCNAM). All specimens were collected between 02 November 2003 and 15 December 2003 by the authors. Based on current available information, we suggest that many species thought to be endemic to Serra do Cipó occur on a more extended area at Serra do Espinhaço range, in central Brazil.

The advertisement call, color patterns and distribution of Ischnocnema izecksohni (Caramaschi and Kisteumacher, 1989) (Anura, Brachycephalidae)

Ischnocnema izecksohni habita as matas de galeria do Quadrilatero Ferrifero, sul da Cadeia do Espinhaco, estado de Minas Gerais, sudeste do Brasil e e considerada endemica desta regiao. Sua especie mais proxima, de acordo com a descricao original, e I. nasuta. Descreve-se o canto de I. izecksohni baseado em especimes gravados e coletados em Nova Lima, MG, que dista 10 km em linha reta da localidade tipo da especie. O canto de anuncio consiste em um grupo de notas emitidas esporadicamente sem um intervalo regular entre os cantos. A duracao do canto (n = 36 cantos em quatro individuos) variou de 1,03 ate 1,85 s (= 1,52 ± 0,21 s) e o tempo ate a amplitude maxima do canto de 0,66 to 1,52 s (= 1,16 ± 0,25 s), com 34-57 notas por canto (= 47.42 ± 6.03). A frequencia de pico variou de 2250 a 2625 Hz, a frequencia dominante de 1317,8 a 3128,0 Hz e o intervalo entre as notas de 22,00 to 41,00 ms (= 28,63 ± 0,03 ms). A partir do exame de colecoes herpetologicas, dados morfologicos e bioacusticos estendeu-se a distribuicao da especie para cerca de 200 km a leste, para mais dez localidades, todas elas fora do Quadrilatero Ferrifero, no complexo da Mantiqueira. Foram analisados padroes de coloracao e alguns padroes dorsais alem daquele presente na descricao original foram encontrados. Sao feitos comentarios acerca do status taxonomico de I. izecksohni e I. nasuta.

The Tadpole of the Microendemic, Bromeligenous Crossodactylodes itambe (Anura, Leptodactylidae) from the Endangered ‘Campo Rupestre’ of Southeastern Brazil, with Additional Comments on Natural History

Abstract. We describe the external larval morphology of the microendemic leptodactylid frog Crossodactylodes itambe from the ‘campo rupestre’ of the Espinhaço Mountain Range in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The species identity of the only previously described Crossodactylodes tadpole cannot be confirmed, making this the first description of a tadpole of known taxonomic identity for the genus. The tadpole of C. itambe differs from the previously described Crossodactylodes tadpole in total length, origin of dorsal fin, development of tail musculature, spiracle position, absence of inner wall of spiracle and shape, and direction of vent tube. Characters such as narrow lateral gaps of marginal papillae and the distinct medial serration on the oral face of the upper jaw are proposed as putative synapomorphies for the genus. Tadpoles of C. itambe occur exclusively in the axils of the rupicolous bromeliad Vriesea medusa. Observation on the natural history, eggs, and larvae are also reported.

Calls and tadpoles of the species of Lysapsus (Anura, Hylidae, Pseudae)

Larval and bioacoustical characters are crucial for anuran systematics. Nevertheless, advertisement calls and larval morphology of most Neotropical anuran species are unknown. Lysapsus is a peculiar group of aquatic frogs that have been subject to recurrent taxonomic changes. Recent molecular phylogenetic and external morphology work gave support for some of the recognized species (L. laevis and L. caraya), but considerable doubt remains over the distinction among L. limellum and L. bolivianus. We describe the tadpoles of L. caraya and L. bolivianus, the advertisement call of L. laevis, and redescribe the advertisement calls of L. caraya, L. limellum, and L. bolivianus. Our results support the genus based on larval and bioacoustical characters. Lysapsus caraya and L. laevis have distinct advertisement calls, but no visual or statistically significant differences were observed between advertisement calls of L. limellum and L. bolivianus. Tadpoles of L. caraya, L. limellum, and L. bolivianus are similar based on external morphology and contrast against the distinct tadpole of L. laevis. Considerable doubt is raised on the validity of L. bolivianus, which either is a junior synonym of L. limellum or constitutes a cryptic species based on currently available data. Data on osteology, musculature, and chondrocranium, allied to robust phylogeographic analyses will help clarify the taxonomic status of these two putative species and the biogeographic relationships between the Amazon and the Parana River basins.

A New Species of the Hypsiboas pulchellus Group from the Serra da Mantiqueira, Southeastern Brazil (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract:  A new species of the Hypsiboas pulchellus group is described from the Mantiqueira range, in the Município de Rio Preto, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We describe adults, tadpoles, and the advertisement call. The new species is morphologically similar to H. freicanecae, a species known from a few localities in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, ∼1640 km north. Adults differ from H. freicanecae in having a slender body, smaller male size, larger calcar, and hidden surfaces of thighs and feet orange in life. Tadpoles have a ventral oral disc, with labial tooth row formula 2(2)/3–4(1), with one to three narrow posterior gaps on the marginal papillae located on the oral disc emarginations. The advertisement call is composed of two nonpulsed notes with dominant frequency at the second harmonic. The species is known only from its type locality, in an unprotected area.

The aquatic macrophyte flora of the Pandeiros River Wildlife Sanctuary, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The Sao Francisco River forms one of the main Brazilian hydrographic basins of ca. 645,000 km2. The Pandeiros River is a tributary situated on the left margin of the Sao Francisco and is considered a strategic component for conservation of biodiversity of that hydrographic basin. An inventory of the aquatic macrophyte flora of the Pandeiros River Wildlife Sanctuary was carried out, using collections of botanical samples and examination of specimens at the BHCB Herbarium. Aquatic environments in the study area were classified as follows: the Pandeiros riverbed, floodplains, oxbow lakes, and swamps. A total of 101 species was inventoried, distributed in 37 families (1 charophytes, 1 liverworts, 3 ferns and 32 angiosperms) and 71 genera. The species were classified into seven life forms, with the amphibian and rafted plants the more representative. The area shows a high diversity in its aquatic macrophytes and has an important role in the conservation of biodiversity of the region.