Melanophryniscus moreirae ( Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 )

Melanophryniscus moreirae ( Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920) View in CoL

Atelopus moreirae Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920: 307 View in CoL .

Complete synonymy is presented by Langone & Lavilla (2024).

Types. Not originally designated in Miranda-Ribeiro (1920). Syntypes: MNRJ 500 (according to P. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1953: 408), GoogleMaps MZUSP 718 (according to Hoogmoed, 1985: 68), and an undefined number of specimens deposited in the MNRJ and MZUSP. GoogleMaps

Lectotype. By present designation: MNRJ 0501 View Materials ( Fig. 1 A–C View FIGURE 1 ), adult male, collected in the Retiro (currently Abrigo Rebouças; 22 o 23’08” S, 44 o 40’45” W; 2,400 m a.s.l.), Parque Nacional do Itatiaia , Municipality of Itatiaia , State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil, in June–July 1902, by Carlos Moreira. GoogleMaps

Paralectotypes. By present designation. All specimens collected in the type locality: MNRJ 5542–5551 View Materials , collected with the lectotype GoogleMaps ; MNRJ 0500 View Materials , Retiro, without date, by Pedro Pinto Peixoto Velho ; MNRJ 0502 View Materials , 5552– 5553 View Materials , Retiro, without date, by Bruno Lobo ; MNRJ 0503 View Materials , Retiro, July 1901, by Carlos Moreira ; MZUSP 718 View Materials , October 1906, by H. Luederwaldt ; MCZ A-109537 , 01 October 1906, by H. Luederwaldt (ex-MZUSP 30563) .

Justification of lectotype designation. The previously recognized type series of M. moreirae was composed by two specimens (MNRJ 500, P. Miranda-Ribeiro, 1953; MZUSP 718, Hoogmoed, 1985). Through the analysis of the collections originally worked by Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro, we found 18 specimens that fullfil the conditions to be treated as syntypes of the species. Hence, in order to better define the type series and to provide taxonomic stability of the species, a lectotype was designated and the paralectotypes were defined. The lectotype is the betterpreserved specimen and its locality, date of collection, and collector perfectly agree to the original description of the species ( Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920).

Description of the lectotype. Adult male; SVL 24.8 mm. General aspect robust, bufonoid ( Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ). Head broader than long; head width 33.9% of SVL; head lacking cranial crests; snout short, narrow, slightly projecting beyond the anterior margin of mouth, rounded in dorsal and lateral views; canthus rostralis rounded; loreal region vertical, slightly concave; snout swelling absent; nostrils very small, situated at near tip of snout, directed anteriorly; IND 95.8% of UEW, 71.9% of IOD; END 82.6% of IND; UEW 75% of IOD; ED equal to IND, 95.8% of UEW, and 71.9% of IOD; tympanum concealed; vocal sac poorly developed; vocal slits present; tongue much longer than wide, with posterior margin free, rounded; choanae small, rounded, largely separated.

Arms slender, lacking ulnar folds; axillary membrane absent. Hand with fingers long, robust; length of fingers II<I<IV<III; tip of fingers narrows, rounded, not differentiated as discs; fingers not fimbriated; webbing absent. Outer palmar tubercle moderately sized, rounded; inner palmar tubercle small, rounded, approximately a half of the outer tubercle; subarticular tubercles developed, rounded; few supernumerary tubercles present. Legs short, robust, lacking tarsal folds; THL smaller than TL, THL 81.5% of TL; sum of THL and TL 67.3% of SVL. Foot robust; TA 42.3% of FL. Toes slender; length of toes I<II<V<III<IV; tip of toes narrow, rounded, not differentiated as discs; toes not fimbriated, not webbed. Inner metatarsal tubercle large, prominent, ovoid; outer metatarsal tubercle large, rounded, approximately equal in size to inner metatarsal tubercle; subarticular tubercles developed, subconical; supernumerary tubercles poorly developed. Skin on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body with large, rounded warts, with a small apical spine; ventral skin roughly granulose; ventral surface of arms and thighs granulose. Cloacal opening directed posteriorly at mid-level of thighs.

In preservative (70% ethanol), ground color of dorsum, loreal region, and flanks, dark brown; an indistinct, clear brown stripe on dorsum of head; two clear brown, elongated blotches on sides of body; ventral surfaces whitish; a brown blotch on anterior gular region and chest.

Measurements of the lectotype. SVL 24.8; HL 6.5; HW 8.4; IND 2.3; END 1.9; ED 2.3; UEW 2.4; IOD 3.2; THL 7.5; TL 9.2; FL 13.7; TA 5.8.

Type locality. Referred by Miranda-Ribeiro (1920) as “Itatiaya”. Corrected by Bokermann (1966: 14) to “Planalto do Itatiaia, Parque Nacional de Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro ”. And complemented, “Judging by the report of Carlos Moreira, collector of the original specimens, these were obtained in the Itatiaia plateau about 2,400 meters of altitude” (freely translated from the Portuguese, “A julgar pelo relatório de Carlos Moreira, colecionador dos exemplares originais, estes foram obtidos no planalto do Itatiaia a cerca de 2.400 metros de altitude”).

Here defined and restricted to Abrigo Rebouças (22 o 23’08” S, 44 o 40’45” W; 2,400 m a.s.l.), Parque Nacional do Itatiaia   GoogleMaps , Municipality of Itatiaia, State of Rio de Janeiro, Southeastern Brazil.

Geographical distribution. Known only from areas of high altitude (from 1,800 to 2,400 m a.s.l.) near temporary swamps in the Serra da Mantiqueira Mountain Range , on the borders of the states of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and São Paulo, in Southeastern Brazil ( Table 1 View TABLE 1 , Fig. 2 View FIGURE 2 ).

Remarks. The specific epithet, moreirae , is a Latin genitive of “ Moreira” honoring Carlos Moreira (1869– 1946), Brazilian zoologist and collector of the majority of the type series (Lavilla et al., 2023). We note that the formation of the name is correct (masculine genitive). Miranda-Ribeiro considered “Moreira” as a Latin name and validly applied the declination to “moreirae ” (see ICZN 1999, Article 31, Subheading 31.1.1 and Examples). Ahl (1938) described and illustrated the tadpole (as Dendrophryniscus moreirae Miranda-Ribeiro ). Habitat, adult and larvae habits, eggs, tadpoles, and food described by Bokermann (1967). Habitat and habits were treated by Guix et al. (1998). The tadpole was extensively compared to other species of the genus by Baldo et al. (2014). The advertisement call was described by Forti et al. (2019). Dormancy and hibernacula used during cold season were described by Carvajalino-Fernández et al. (2013). Species distribution modeling to investigate the potential effects of climate change on the species was presented by Zank et al. (2014).