Multiple lines of evidence support the species status of the poorly known Diasporus tigrillo and the recently described Diasporus citrinobapheus (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae)

Abstract

The genus of direct-developing frogs Diasporus is currently composed of 11 species ranging from Honduras to Ecuador. Body size variability, advertisement call divergence, and polychromatism have all been reported at the interpopulation level, suggesting that the existence of some species may be masked within the current nomenclature of this group. This pattern highlights the need for integrative approaches to resolve the taxonomy of the genus and provide a robust delimitation of the species it contains. Here, we provide novel data on morphology, genetics, habitat use, and bioacoustics for D. tigrillo, the least known species in the genus. Then we use an integrative approach to assess the divergence between this species and D. citrinobapheus a recently described species. D. tigrillo was indicated as the most similar species to D. citrinobapheus by its authors; however, given the lack of available information for D. tigrillo this conclusion was based only on morphological data obtained from a few deteriorated specimens collected and preserved five decades ago. With our morphological redescription, molecular inference, ecological observations, and acoustic analysis, we found important differences between these two taxonomic entities. Our data, in addition to improving the knowledge of D. tigrillo, therefore provides robust evidence to support the validity of both species.

Molecular sequence data. GenBank Accession numbers are detailed in the text.

Phylogenetic data. Information related can be reviewed at this URL: http://purl.org/phylo/treebase/phylows/study/TB2:S18102

Keywords:

• call divergence
• Costa Rica
• integrative taxonomy
• molecular phylogeny
• Panama

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Justino Layan Gabb, Xavier Baltodano and Carlos Godínez, for their valuable assistance in the field. Andreas Hertz generously provided the recordings of D. citrinobapheus analyzed here. Adriana Fernández kindly reviewed the style of the early drafts of the manuscript. We thank Marcelo Gehara, Gabriel Costa and two anonymous reviewers for providing valuable comments that improved the content of this article and Jorge González, Edwin Cyrus and the Costa Rican Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) for providing the corresponding scientific collecting permits for this expedition (SINAC-ACLAC-PIME-R-005-2015). The School of Biology at Universidad de Costa Rica provided supportive help in terms of logistics.

Editor: Juan M. Guayasamin.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Geographic Society [grant number W-346-14]; Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología [grant number 626946/330343]; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.