A New Species of Pseudopaludicola Miranda-Ribeiro, 1926 (Anura, Leptodactylidae) from Tocantins State, Brazil
The number of described species of Pseudopaludicola has increased at unprecedented rates over the past two decades. This increase was mainly driven by the sampling effort in regions historically neglected and the use of evidence from bioacoustic, genetic, and morphological datasets combined. Here, we describe a new species of Pseudopaludicola from a transitional zone between Amazonia and Cerrado in western Tocantins State as revealed through morphological, molecular, and bioacoustic analysis. Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by its small size; knobbed terminal phalanges; smooth upper eyelids and heel; relatively short hind limbs; smooth, whitish, and subgular inflated vocal sac with few melanophores around the jaw; and advertisement call composed of an irregular series of multipulsed notes with 10–17 nonconcatenated pulses separated by intervals of 3–55 ms, emitted at a rate of 27–51 pulses/sec. The new species occurs in four Tocantins municipalities, all in the Araguaia–Tocantins interfluve. We also provide the first records of Pseudopaludicola jazmynmcdonaldae outside the type locality (Caseara Municipality, Tocantins State), extending its distribution nearly 245 km southward from Caseara. Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. is the second species of Pseudopaludicola described recently from western Tocantins.Abstract
Geographic distribution of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. and P. jazmynmcdonaldae. Abbreviations: MT = Mato Grosso State; PA = Pará State; TO = Tocantins State. Municipalities: Couto Magalhães = 1; Caseara = 2–3; Marianópolis = 4–5; Lagoa da Confusão = 6–7 and 10–11; Cristalândia = 8–9; Dueré = 12.
Holotype of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. (above, CHUFPB31044; SVL = 15.1 mm, A–E) and paratopotype female (below, F–J, CHUFPB31042; SVL = 14.8 mm) in preservative. (A) Dorsal body, (B) ventral body, (C) profile body; (D) palm of right hand, and (E) sole of left foot of the holotype. (F) Dorsal body, (G) ventral body, (H) profile body; (I) palm of right hand, and (J) sole of right foot of the female CHUFPB31042.
Variation in life of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. (A) Male CHUFPB31055 (SVL = 13.8), (B) holotype male CHUFPB31044 (SVL = 15.1), (C) male CHUFPB31056 (SVL = 13.2), (D) unvouchered male, (E) male CHUFPB31043 (SVL = 14.3), (F) male CHUFPB31059 (SVL = 15.4), (G) male CHUFPB31062 (SVL = 14.0), and (H) female CHUFPB31042 (SVL = 14.8). Specimens A, D, and E are from Lagoa da Confusão; the remaining specimens are from Marianópolis Municipality, all Tocantins State.
Ventral variation in life of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. The specimens are followed by the respective label and sex. Specimens from the type locality, Marianópolis Municipality, Tocantins State, as follows: CHUFPB31042, CHUFPB31044 (holotype), CHUFPB31048, and CHUFPB31062; Specimens from Lagoa da Confusão municipality, Tocantins State are as follows: CHUFPB31043, CHUFPB31054, CHUFPB31055, and CHUFPB31064.
Dorsal (left) and ventral (right) variation of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. in preservative. The specimens are followed by the respective label and sex. The specimen CHUFPB31055 was collected in Lagoa da Confusão Municipality, Tocantins State; all other specimens are from the type locality, Marianópolis Municipality, Tocantins State.
A comparison of the advertisement calls of Pseudopaludicola mystacalis, P. jazmynmcdonaldae, P. atragula, and P. javae sp. nov. The oscillograms represent 10-sec segments of a series of advertisement calls from each species. Below is shown the corresponding audiospectograms and oscillograms for the highlighted notes, detailing their pulsatile microstructures. The advertisement call of the paratype for the new species was recorded on 01 March 2021 at 1705 h; the air temperature was 25.0–28.0°C (recording label: FNJV 0051324).
Phylogenetic relationships inferred for the species of the genus Pseudopaludicola based on a fragment of 16S mtDNA. Numbers in bold above branches indicate the mean age of the node to the right, whereas italicized numbers below branches indicate posterior probabilities for branches with posterior probabilities of <0.99; all other branches have posterior probabilities of >0.99. Codes to the right of species names are GenBank accession numbers. For Brazilian species, names are followed by their corresponding municipality/state abbreviation. Species from other countries are followed by country name. The collapsed branch of P. javae sp. nov. contains five terminals, including four from the type locality, Marianópolis Municipality, Tocantins State (the female CHUFPB31042 and the males CHUFPB31044 [holotype], CHUFPB31046, and CHUFPB31047), and one from Lagoa da Confusão Municipality, Tocantins State (female CHUFPB31064).
First and second dimensions of the multidimensional scaling on the proximity scores from the randomForest analysis considering acoustic traits of adult males of Pseudopaludicola javae sp. nov. (blue dots), P. atragula (red dots), P. jazmynmcdonaldae (green dots), and P. mystacalis (purple dots). The color of the circles around dots represents the species the randomForest algorithm attributed to each individual. Dot charts of the variable importance score are shown below, considering acoustic traits as indicated by the randomForest analysis. Mean decreased accuracy and mean decrease Gini are coefficients that measure how variables contribute to nodes and leaves homogeneities in the resulting randomForest.
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