Nymphargus mariae ( Duellman & Toft, 1979 )

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 : 163-165

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.12

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B91C57-E865-F902-61F9-FC49A0ABFD36

treatment provided by

Carolina

scientific name

Nymphargus mariae ( Duellman & Toft, 1979 )
status

 

Nymphargus mariae ( Duellman & Toft, 1979) View in CoL

( Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 )

Centrolenella mariae Duellman & Toft, 1979 .

Centrolenella puyoensis Flores & McDiarmid, 1989. Holotype: MCZ 91187, by original designation. Type locality: “1.0 km W Puyo, Provincia de Pastaza, Ecuador, between 1000-1050 m elevation”. New synonymy.

Cochranella mariae View in CoL – Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1991. Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2007.

Cochranella puyoensis View in CoL – Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1991. Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2006.

Centrolene mariae View in CoL – Duellman & Schulte, 1993.

Centrolene puyoensis – Duellman & Schulte, 1993.

Centrolene puyoense – Stuart et al., 2008.

Nymphargus mariae – Guayasamin et al., 2009.

Nymphargus puyoensis – Guayasamin et al., 2009.

Centrolenella mariae Duellman & Toft was described based on one female specimen collected at Serranía de Sira, department of Huánuco, Peru ( Duellman & Toft, 1979). Flores & McDiarmid (1989) described Centrolenella puyoensis and Centrolenella azulae , hypothesising that, together with C. mariae , they formed a monophyletic group (the C. mariae species-group). Subsequent authors ( Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1991, 1995; Duellman & Schulte, 1993) followed this hypothesis, but Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid (2006, 2007) questioned the validity of the C. mariae species-group, further pointing out that although C. azulae is diagnosable, C. mariae and C. puyoensis are very similar and probably conspecific ( Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2007). Centrolenella mariae and C. puyoensis were placed in the genus Nymphargus View in CoL by Guayasamin et al. (2009) based on morphological and molecular data, respectively. Flores & McDiarmid (1989) separated N. puyoensis from N. mariae by tympanum exposure (three-quarters in N. puyoensis , one-half in N. mariae ), hand and foot webbing (slightly more extensive in N. mariae ), ulnar fold (present in N. puyoensis , absent in N. mariae ), intricate cloacal ornamentation (present in N. puyoensis , absent in N. mariae ) and differences in proportions (greater eye-nostril/eye diameter and shank length/ snout-vent length in N. puyoensis ).

We examined 16 specimens assignable to Nymphargus puyoensis View in CoL from Ecuador and the holotype of Nymphargus mariae View in CoL and found no evidence to support their differentiation. All characters used to diagnose these two species can be attributed to subtle differences that fall inside the intraspecific variation of a single species. Flores & McDiarmid (1989) proposed a polarization of characters that is rather subjective and biased due to their small sample size (one specimen for each of their “species”). Variation of tympanum exposure, webbing, and body proportions observed among N. puyoensis View in CoL and N. mariae View in CoL is continuous and similar, or even lower than the natural differences observed within populations of other species of centrolenids. The absence of ulnar folds and cloacal ornamentations in the type specimen of N. mariae View in CoL could be attributed to natural variation, but also due to preservation artifacts (see Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2006 for information on the variation of specimens of N. puyoensis View in CoL ). Either way it has also been observed in specimens of N. puyoensis View in CoL .

In the absence of valid discriminating evidence to support the hypothesis that Nymphargus puyoensis and Nymphargus mariae are different lineages, we place Centrolenella puyoensis Flores & McDiarmid, 1989 as a synonym of Centrolenella mariae Duellman & Toft, 1979 . Thus, Nymphargus mariae , as herein redefined, inhabits Foothill Evergreen Forest and Lowland Evergreen Forest flooded by White-water Rivers on the Amazonian versant of the Andes of Ecuador and Peru (Cordillera del Sira), between 300 and 1550 m ( Flores & McDiarmid, 1989; Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2006, 2007; Yánez-Muñoz et al., 2010).

This synonym reflects the absence of evidence to support the hypothesis that the population from the Serranía del Sira in eastern Amazonian Peru (typelocality of Nymphargus mariae ) is different from those of eastern Amazonian Ecuador. Although it might be argued that the Serranía del Sira is a rather isolated mountain range that likely contains several amphibian endemics, our decision to place Nymphargus puyoensis in the synonymy of N. mariae is based on the fact that there are no morphological traits that support the existence of two putative species, and that potential biogeographic barriers cannot justify specific status without the corroboration of traits intrinsic to the organisms. We encourage future researchers to analyse other lines of evidence to evaluate the status of these populations.

MCZ

Museum of Comparative Zoology

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Amphibia

Order

Anura

Family

Centrolenidae

Genus

Nymphargus

Loc

Nymphargus mariae ( Duellman & Toft, 1979 )

Cisneros-Heredia, Diego F. & Guayasamin, Juan M. 2014
2014
Loc

Nymphargus

Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid 2007
2007
Loc

Centrolene fernandoi

Duellman & Schulte 1993
1993
Loc

Centrolenella puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

Centrolenella puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

Centrolenella azulae

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

C. azulae

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

C. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

C. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

N. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

N. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

N. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

N. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

N. puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

Centrolenella puyoensis

Flores & McDiarmid 1989
1989
Loc

Centrolenella mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

Centrolenella mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

C. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

C. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

C. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

C. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

Centrolenella mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

N. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

N. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

N. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

N. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

N. mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

Centrolenella mariae

Duellman & Toft 1979
1979
Loc

Centrolene audax

Lynch & Duellman 1973
1973
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