Phyllomedusa Wagler, 1830

Duellman, William E., Marion, Angela B. & Hedges, Blair, 2016, Phylogenetics, classification, and biogeography of the treefrogs (Amphibia: Anura: Arboranae), Zootaxa 4104 (1), pp. 1-109 : 33-35

Phyllomedusa Wagler, 1830

Phyllomedusa Wagler, 1830:201 . Type species: Rana bicolor Boddaert, 1772 , by monotypy.

Definition. Large frogs (SVL to 130 mm in Phyllomedusa bicolor ; Fig. 13 B), little or no webbing on feet, none on hand; vomerine teeth present; palpebral membrane not reticulated; tadpoles having moderately small oral discs directed anteroventrally.

Content. Fifteen species: Phyllomedusa bahiana Lutz , bicolor (Boddaert) , boliviana Boulenger , burmeisteri Boulenger , camba De la Riva , coelestis * (Cope), distincta Lutz , iheringii Boulenger , neildi Barrio-Amorós , sauvagii Boulenger , tarsius (Cope) , tetraploidea Pombal & Haddad , trinitatis Mertens , vaillantii Boulenger , and venusta * Duellman & Trueb.

Distribution. Amazon Basin, Chacoan Region in Paraguay, eastern Brazil southward to Uruguay and northeastern Argentina, Guianan Region, Trinidad and northern Venezuela, Cordillera Occidental and Magdalena Valley in Colombia, and extreme eastern Panama.

Etymology. According to Duellman (2001), the generic name is derived from the Greek phyll, meaning leaf, and the Greek Medousa. The name alludes to the gelatinous egg masses deposited on leaves of trees. The gender is feminine.

Remarks. Our analysis shows a 100% support for the monophyly of this genus, within which are three strongly supported clades. The first of these contains only Phyllomedusa bicolor and P. vaillantii that are unique Among phyllomedusids by having osteoderms in the skin on the dorsum ( Ruibal & Shoemaker 1984). Although recognition of the P. burmeisteri and P. tarsius groups, as proposed by Faivovich et al. (2010), is strongly supported in our analysis, there are no known morphological features that distinguish the two groups.

Throughout the overlapping parts of their ranges, the diploid Phyllomedusa distincta and the tetraploid P. tetraploidea hybridize to produce triploids that are sterile or have low fertility ( Haddad et al. 1994). Hybridization also occurs between P. bahiana and P. burmeisteri ; putative hybrids are fertile (Pombal & Haddad 1992).

Figures

FIGURE 13. A. Pithecopus hypochondrialis, KU 183441, Okinawa 1, 300 m, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. D. C. Cannatella. B. Phyllomedusa bicolor, KU 124907, Leticia, 96 m, Amazonas, Colombia. W. E. Duellman.