Ameerega picta (Tschudi 1838)

Barrio-Amorós, César L., Rojas-Runjaic, Fernando J. M. & Señaris, J. Celsa, 2019, Catalogue of the amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and annotated species list, distribution, and conservation, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (e 180) 13 (1), pp. 1-198 : 50-51

Ameerega picta (Tschudi 1838)

Holotype: MNHNP 4910

Type locality: Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

Distribution: Region 5. Widely distributed in Amazon Region lowlands, through Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil, and Venezuela. In Venezuela, only known from Northeastern Bolivar and adjacent Delta Amacuro States.

Remarks: Barrio-Amorós (2004) treated the Guayanan populations of this taxon as Epipedobates guayanensis , following Schulte (1999) without arguing about the change. Ameerega guayanensis ( Heatwole, Solano and Heatwole 1965; type locality: forest between Rancho Alegre and base of Altiplanicie (de Nuria), on trail to Quebrada Cabeza de Burro, 5 km east of Las Chicharras, 47 km north of Tumeremo; Altiplanicie de Nuria, 100–250 m, Estado Bolívar, Venezuela) would be the proper name of Guianan populations if demonstrated to be genetically different from A. picta from the type locality. The southwestern Amazonian population is separated from the Guiana population by at least 3,000 km in a straight line (Lötters et al. 2007). However, J.C. Santos (unpub. data) preliminary results do not indicate a clear genetic separation and thus, until more data are published, we consider guayanensis under picta . As we do not use subspecies, the name must be regarded in its synonymy. See also comment by Avila Pires et al. (2010).

Selected references: Heatwole et al. (1965); Silverstone (1976); Gremone et al. (1986); Walsh (1994); Duellman (1997); Gorzula and Señaris (1998); Barrio and Fuentes (1999a); Schulte (1999); Señaris and Ayarzagüena (2004 “2002”); Lötters et al. (2007); Barrio-Amorós (2016).