Boana semilineata ( Spix 1824 )

Cassundé, Gisele F., Sturaro, Marcelo J., Maciel, Adriano O., Lima-Filho, Geraldo R., Lyra, Mariana L., Rodrigues, Miguel T., Haddad, Célio F. B., Aleixo, Alexandre & Peloso, Pedro, 2025, Neotype designations for Hyla geographica Spix, 1824 and Hyla geographica var. sive semilineata Spix, 1824, and comments on the phylogeny, taxonomy, and diversity of the Boana semilineata species group (Anura: Hylidae), Zootaxa 5660 (4), pp. 505-528 : 518-519

Boana semilineata ( Spix 1824)

Holotype. Not designated in the original description; ZSM 35/0, according to Hoogmoed & Gruber (1983). Type figured on plate 11, figure 2 of the original publication (reproduced here as figure 1B). The type specimen is considered lost ( Hoogmoed & Gruber 1983; Glaw & Franzen 2006; Fouquet et al. 2016).

Neotype (designated herein). CFBH 5424 , an adult male, from the municipality of Duque de Caxias (-22.7856, -43.3117), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, collected on 09 September 2002, by Ariovaldo P. da Cruz Neto.

Type locality. Given as “ Provinciae Rio de Janeiro ” in Spix (1824). Bokermann (1966) suggested that the type locality is “probably Rio de Janeiro ”, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hoogmoed & Gruber (1983) gave the type locality as Guanabara, Rio de Janeiro, but did not state if this information was taken from the catalog of the Munich Museum. With the designation of the neotype, we restrict the type locality to “municipality of Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (-22.7856, -43.3117)”.

Diagnosis. The combination of the following characters can be used as a diagnosis for the taxon: (1) SVL of males 36.67–43.32 mm (n = 3); (2) presence of reticulated palpebral membrane; (3) prepollex not modified into a projecting spine; (4) nuptial pads present; (5) fingers II–III webbed basal and III–IV–V half webbed; (6) underdeveloped calcar appendage; (7) presence of a tarsal fringe; (8) abdomen immaculate (uniformly cream, spots absent); (9) flanks cream with numerous dark brown stripes; (10) anterior and posterior surface of thigh with numerous dark brown stripes; (11) light cream color pattern with dark X-shaped spot in the scapular region.

Description of neotype (CFBH 5424; Fig. 4C–D, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6C–D). An adult male, SVL 36.67 mm. Head almost as long as wide (HW/HL 1.05); snout rounded in view dorsal and slightly acuminate in lateral view; inter-orbital distance more than one and a half times the distance between the nostrils (IOD/IND 1.54); eye diameter larger than eye-nostril-distance (END/ED 1.58); canthus rostralis slightly concave; loreal region concave; nostrils protuberant, directed dorsolaterally; internarial area slightly convex. Eyes large and protuberant, larger than tympanum diameter (ED/TD 1.82); inter-orbital region concave; pupil horizontally elliptical; palpebral membrane mostly transparent, with pigmented reticulations, its border pigmented. Supratympanic fold absent; tympanic membrane barely visible, but tympanic annulus is easily distinguishable. Choanae small, elliptical, not concealed by palatal shelves. Vomerine odontophores present; left and right series divided by a much narrow gap (10 odontophores on each side); tongue ovoid, with posterior end not adhered to floor of mouth. Vocal slits present, extending from anterior base of tongue almost to the angle of the jaw; vocal sac indistinguishable.

Arms robust, slightly hypertrophied; conspicuous dermal fold (fringe) on external margin of forearm and hand, extending from elbow to of Finger disc V; fold more evident on forearm, becoming less pronounced on hand; axillary membrane absent. Fingertips round; enlarged disks present and well developed in all fingers; relative lengths of fingers II<III<V<IV. Subarticular tubercles round, well developed and easily visible; narrower than finger width; one subarticular tubercle on Fingers II and III, two subarticular tubercles on fingers IV and V; distal subarticular tubercles of Fingers IV and V larger than proximal subarticular tubercles; prepollex not modified into a projecting spine; thenar and palmar metacarpals indistinguishable. Webbing between Fingers II and III is basal, more extensive between III–IV and between IV–V; webbing formula II 21/3 – 21/3 III 11/3 – 11/3 IV 2⁻– 21/3 V (left), II 21/2 – 21/3 III 12/3 – 21/3 IV 2⁺–2⁺ V (right).

Legs long and slender. Calcaneus with an underdeveloped calcar appendage; tarsal fringe absents on lateral margin of tarsus, but faintly present along foot and Toe V. All toes well developed, bearing expanded, round, well developed disks; relative lengths of Toes I<II<V<III<IV. Subarticular tubercles round and well developed; one subarticular tubercle on Toes I, II and V; two subarticular tubercles on Toes III and IV; many supernumerary tubercles visible; inner metatarsal tubercle flat, slightly elliptical; outer metatarsal tubercle not visible; Webbing extensive between all toes; webbing formula I 2⁺–2 II 1⁻–2 III 2⁻–2 IV 2⁻–1 V (left), I 1½–2⁻ II 1⁻–2⁺ III 1⁻–2 IV 2⁺–1½ (right).

Dorsal skin shagreened, flanks slightly areolate; strongly areolate abdominal and femoral regions.

Variation. Based on two individuals collected with the neotype were also analyzed: CFBH 5423 , an adult male, very well preserved; and CFBH 5425 , an adult male, very well preserved .

All specimens analyzed have very homogeneous general morphology, but some variations in the color standard and number of odontophores have been observed, the latter may be related to the age of individuals.

A dark mesodorsal stripe may be present (CFBH 5424 and CFBH 5425) or absent (CFBH 5423). When present, the mesodorsal stripe extends to a variable point on the back, from the snout to the back of the head (CFBH 5424) or from the region between the eyes and ends before the vent (CFBH 5425). Dark stripes are always present on the arms, forearms, and front and back of the thighs, but may be of slightly variable thickness. The dark stripes on the back surfaces of the thighs may or may not be continuous with the lines on the front surfaces of the thighs. The number of odontophores may vary from 10 (CFBH 5424 and CFBH 5425) to 12 (CFBH 5423) on each side.

Morphometric data of the three topotypic specimens are given in Appendix 2.