Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus ( Mertens, 1937 ) Cruz & Caramaschi, 2003

Cruz, Carlos Alberto Gonçalves & Caramaschi, Ulisses, 2003, TAXONOMIC STATUS OF MELANOPHRYNISCUS STELZNERI DORSALIS (MERTENS, 1933) AND MELANOPHRYNISCUS STELZNERI FULVOGUTTATUS (MERTENS, 1937) (AMPHIBIA, ANURA, BUFONIDAE) 1, Boletim Do Museu Nacional Nova Série Rio De Janeiro - Brasil 500, pp. 1-11 : 5-9

Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus ( Mertens, 1937) , new status

( Figs.6-10 )

Phryniscus nigricans – BOETTGER, 1885, 1892; (?) BOULENGER, 1894; BUDGETT, 1899 (part).

Atelopus stelzneri – PERACCA, 1895 (part); BERG, 1896 (part); BERTONI, 1939 (part).

Dendrophryniscus stelzneri – MÜLLER & HELLMICH, 1936 (part); FREIBERG, 1942 (part); CEI, 1956 (part).

Dendrophryniscus stelzneri fulvoguttatus MERTENS, 1937 .

Melanophryniscus stelzneri fulvoguttatus – GALLARDO, 1961 (part), 1987 (part); LUTZ, 1972 (part); CEI, 1980 (part), 1987 (part); CONTRERAS & CONTRERAS, 1982; BASSO & WILLIAMS, 1996; BALDO & ARZAMENDÍA, 1998; KOKUBUM & BERNARDE, 1998; PRIGIONI & LANGONE, 1998, 2000; CÉSPEDEZ & ALVAREZ, 2000; BALDO, 2001; CÉSPEDEZ & MOTTE, 2001.

Melanophryniscus stelzneri – SCOTT & LOVETT, 1975; AQUINO, SCOTT & MOTTE, 1996 (part).

Diagnosis – A medium sized species of the M. stelzneri group, diagnosed by the following characters: (1) SVL 23.1-25.0mm in males, 26.3-28.0mm in females; (2) head broader than long; (3) skin on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body with corneous spines on shallow warts, and additional scattered spines directly on the skin of head and dorsal surfaces of members; (4) ground color of dorsum, loreal region, flanks, and venter dark brown; (5) dorsal surfaces with numerous, irregular pale yellow spots; (6) a series of pale yellow spots on the border of mandible; (7) ventral surfaces with numerous irregular pale yellow spots or blotches, with a remarkably large longitudinal blotch on thighs.

Description – General aspect robust, bufonoid ( Fig.6 ). Head broader than long; head width nearly 30% of SVL; head lacking cranial crests; snout short, broad, slightly projecting beyond the anterior margin of mouth, rounded in dorsal and lateral views ( Figs.7-8 ); canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region vertical, slightly concave; nostrils very small, situated at near tip of snout, directed anteriorly; IND approximately 87% of UEW, 64% of IOD, and 90% of END; UEW about 72% of IOD; ED 1.2 times IND, 1.1 times UEW, and approximately 80% of IOD; tympanum concealed; vocal slits present in males; tongue much longer than wide, with posterior margin free, rounded; choanae small, rounded, largely separated.

Arms slender, lacking ulnar folds; axillary membrane absent. Hand ( Fig.9 ) with fingers long, slender; length of fingers I<II<IV<III; tip of fingers narrow, rounded, not differentiated as discs; fingers not fimbriated; webbing absent. Outer palmar tubercle large, rounded; inner palmar tubercle small, pear shaped, approximately a half of the outer tubercle; subarticular tubercles developed, rounded, but some divided mainly on fingers III and IV; supernumerary tubercles present. Legs short, robust, lacking tarsal folds; THL larger than TL; sum of THL and TL approximately 90% of SVL. Foot ( Fig.10 ) with toes slender; length of toes I<II<V<III<IV; tip of toes narrow, rounded, not differentiated as discs; toes slightly fimbriated, barely one third webbed; web border indented. Inner metatarsal tubercle large, ovoid, prominent; outer metatarsal tubercle large, ovoid, approximately equal in size to inner metatarsal tubercle; a rounded tubercle between inner and outer metatarsal tubercles; subarticular tubercles developed, subconical, but some divided mainly on toes III and IV; supernumerary tubercles developed.

Skin on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body and on members with corneous spines on shallow warts; additional scattered spines directly on the skin of head; ventral skin granulose with scattered spines on belly; ventral surface of thighs granulose and spinulose. Cloacal opening normal, directed posteriorly at mid-level of thighs.

In preservative (70% ethanol), ground color of dorsum, loreal region, flanks, and venter dark brown; dorsal surfaces with numerous, irregular pale yellow spots; a series of pale yellow spots on the border of mandible; ventral surfaces with numerous irregular pale yellow spots or blotches, with a remarkably large longitudinal blotch on thighs.

Variation – Variations in measurements are presented in table 2 . The number, size, and shape of the pale yellow spots and blotches are variable.

Geographic distribution – Inland South America, in Brazil, State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Maracaju, 21o37’S, 55o10’W; Jardim, 21o29’S, 56o08’W; Bela Vista, 22o06’S, 56o31’W), and Paraguay (Pavón, not located; Sapucaí, 25o40’S, 56o55’W). According to BALDO (2001), the species occurs in the Province of Formosa, Argentina, in the Departments Concepción, Guairá, Paraguari and San Pedro, Paraguay, and in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.

Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus

– BRAZIL: MATO GROSSO DO SUL: Maracaju ( MNRJ 4220-4244 ); Jardim ( MNRJ 27347-27348 ); Fazenda Costa Perón , Bela Vista ( EI 1969-1978 ); Bela Vista ( EI 4234-4256 ). PARAGUAY: Pavón ( MNRJ 2666 , 5855 ); Sapucaí ( AL-MN 4735-4736 ).

Figures

Fig.6- Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus (Mertens, 1937) (EI 4250): dorsal and ventral views.

Melanophryniscus fulvoguttatus (Mertens, 1937) (EI 4250): fig.7- dorsal view of head; fig.8- lateral view of head; fig.9- hand; fig.10- foot. Scale bar = 5mm.