A new cryptic species of the Aplastodiscus albosignatus group (Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract

. The genus Aplastodiscus currently includes 15 valid species, and a further five candidate species have already been pointed out in the literature. We here describe one of these candidate species, assigned to the A. albosignatus group, from the southeastern slopes of the Espinhaço Range, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new species is cryptic with A. cavicola , being morphologically similar in both adult and larval stages. However, the two species are not sister taxa. The advertisement call of the new species is markedly distinct from all other known species of its genus. Examination of topotypic samples of A. cavicola corroborates the presence of this species in the Espinhaço Range, but also indicates the need for a revision of the taxonomic status of populations from the state of Rio de Janeiro assigned to this taxon. praorbital and infraorbital lines behind region medially and laterally to the nares, respectively. Posterior supraorbital and posterior infraorbital lines are irregu-larly arranged behind the eyes. Angular lines extend ob-liquely from below eyes to the ventral contour of body and are distinct in the mid-ventral region of the body. Anterior oral lines extend from the lateral region of oral disc and approach the angular lines ventrally. Longitudinal oral line located between the anterior oral line and angular line. Dorsal and middle lines extend from the mid-dorsal body region to the tail; the first, medially located ones converge anterior to the junction and continue posteriorly along the dorsal fin to halfway down the tail; middle lines located dorsolaterally reach the body–tail junction where they join the middle caudal series. Along the proximal third of tail, this middle series turns towards the dorsal fin of the tail, reaching the dorsal fin base, and turns incon-spicuous in the distal third of the tail. Ventral body lines extend anterodorsally from near the vent tube to the region above the spiracle. Following a small gap without neuro-masts, they continue posteroventrally from below the base of the spiracle to the mid-abdominal region.