Rulyrana saxiscandens ( Duellman & Schulte, 1993 )

Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. & Guayasamin, Juan M., 2014, Notes on the taxonomy of some Glassfrogs from the Andes of Peru and Ecuador (Amphibia: Centrolenidae), Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia (São Paulo) 54 (12), pp. 161-168 : 165-166

Rulyrana saxiscandens ( Duellman & Schulte, 1993)

( Fig. 3 )

Cochranella saxiscandens Duellman & Schulte, 1993 .

Cochranella tangarana Duellman & Schulte, 1993 . Type locality: “west slope of Abra Tangarana, 7 km (by road) northeast of San Juan de Pacaysapa (06°12’S, 76°44’W), 1080 m), Provincia Lamas, Departamento San Martín, Perú ”. New synonymy.

Rulyrana saxiscandens – Guayasamin et al., 2009.

Rulyrana tangarana – Guayasamin et al., 2009.

Duellman & Schulte (1993) described Cochranella saxiscandens and Cochranella tangarana based on specimens collected at two nearby localities of the Mayo River, Tarapoto region, department of San Martín, Peru. Duellman & Schulte (1993) dif- ferentiated these two species (now placed in the genus Rulyrana ) by their snout form (bluntly round in Rulyrana saxiscandens , truncate in Rulyrana tangarana ), dorsal colouration in preservative (dark-grey to black in R. saxiscandens , lavender in R. tangarana ), melanophores on the ventral surfaces of shanks and tarsi (present in R. saxiscandens , absent in R. tangarana ); presence of spicules on dorsal surfaces (absent in R. saxiscandens , present in R. tangarana ); and inner tarsal fold (absent in R. saxiscandens , present in R. tangarana ).

We examined 22 specimens of Rulyrana saxiscandens and two of Rulyrana tangarana (including all type-specimens) and found that all stated differences between them actually correspond to intraspecific variation. Snout shape varies continuously from round to truncate; tympanic annulus is conspicuous at different degrees due to the supratympanic fold; dorsal colouration in preservative varies continuously from dark-purple, purplish-grey, dark-lavender, to light-lavender (similar colour variation has been observed in Rulyrana flavopunctata ); melanophores are always present on ventral surfaces although sometimes scarce; spicule presence and appearance varies ontogenically and sexually (see Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2007); and inner tarsal fold is always present but sometimes poorly noticeable.

In the absence of evidence to support the hypothesis that two species are involved in the populations of the Mayo River, we place Cochranella tangarana Duellman & Schulte, 1993 as synonym of Cochranella saxiscandens Duellman & Schulte, 1993 .

Rulyrana saxiscandens remains very similar to Rulyrana spiculata ( Duellman, 1976) , which is known from forests on the Amazonian versant of the Andes of central and southern Peru and eastern Bolivia, between 1200 and 1700 m (Frost, 2011; Rodríguez et al., 2004). Duellman & Schulte (1993) reported that Centronella saxiscandens (and Centrolenella tangarana ) were similar to Centrolenella spiculata , but differed due to snout form, tympanum and inner tarsal fold appearance, coloration, and presence of spicules on dorsal surfaces in Rulyrana tangarana . Evan Twomey and associates are studying these species, and we refer to them for a definitive conclusion.

With the present changes, the diversity of glassfrogs of Peru currently includes 29 species: Centrolene audax , C. azulae , C. buckleyi , C. hesperium , C. lemniscatum , C. muelleri , C. sabini , Chimerella mariaelenae , Cochranella croceopodes , C. euhystrix , C. resplendens , Hyalinobatrachium bergeri , H. carlesvilai , H. iaspidiense , H. pellucidum , Rulyrana erminea , R. mcdiarmidi , R. saxiscandens , R. spiculata , Vitreorana oyampiensis , Nymphargus chancas , N. mariae , N. mixomaculatus , N. ocellatus , N. phenax , N. pluvialis , N. posadae , Teratohyla amelie , T. midas .

Hyalinobatrachium munozorum and Centrolene condor are expected to occur in Peru. Hyalinobatrachium munozorum occurs in Ecuador and Bolivia ( Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid 2007, Castroviejo- Fisher et al., 2011), and C. condor is known from several localities in the Cordillera del Condor, just a few kilometres from Peruvian territory ( Cisneros-Heredia & Morales-Mite, 2008; Almendáriz & Batallas, 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 3: Photographs of Rulyrana saxiscandens: (A) KU 211776, holotype of Cochranella tangarana, and (B) KU 211779, holotype of Cochranella saxiscandens, both from Abra Tangarana, San Martín, Peru. Photos by W.E. Duellman.